Federation of European Private port Companies and Terminals (FEPORT) members reiterated their concern regarding the measures of the EU ETS and the possibility of a review of the Regulation, during General Assembly meeting of their organization.
As FEPORT explains, risks of cargo diversion to the detriment of EU ports are becoming more and more real with the upcoming entry into force beginning of 2024 of EU ETS for shipping. As a result, FEPORT is looking forward to having a constructive dialogue with the EU Commission regarding possible solutions to avoid cargo diversion.
We are now in a situation where our terminals can become less competitive and attractive for shipping lines which do not intend to pass on the additional ETS costs to their customers and call-in non-EU ports
… said FEPORT President, Gunther Bonz.
This is far from the first time that European ports express concern over EU ETS cargo diversion. The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), European Tugowners Association (ETA) as well as FEPORT have previously published multiple statements to highlight regulatory gaps within the EU ETS.
This is why we are calling the EU Commission to start immediately a study and to also perform a continuous assessment in real-time of the impact of EU ETS for Shipping now. The terms of reference of the study should consider all solutions that are currently proposed by different port stakeholders to avoid cargo diversion. It is important that we all do our utmost efforts to avoid a detrimental effect on employment in EU ports
… added the FEPORT President
