14 June 2024
The Spanish delegation has prepared an information note for discussion at the Transport, Telecommunication and Energy (TTE) Council concerning the need to carefully monitor the possible negative impacts of EU ETS on maritime transport. The information note is also supported by Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Romania.
In the note, the Spanish delegation emphasises the high risk of diversion of shipping routes from EU ports to third country ports due to the current EU ETS provisions. It highlights concerns that the risk mitigation measures outlined in the Directive by the Commission are insufficient.
Therefore, the Spanish delegation reiterates warnings previously included in a letter signed by the Ministers from several countries in October 2023, in a declaration included as AOB in the last Council of 4 December 2023, and in the Report on building a comprehensive European port strategy adopted by the European Parliament.
In the note, the signatory Member States call upon the European Commission to urgently establishing actions to ensure the effectiveness of the mechanisms established in the EU ETS Directive to prevent the negative impacts, proposing the following:
- Incorporate a risk assessment in the monitoring mechanism included in the EU ETS, moving beyond retrospective tracking and including predictive criteria to anticipate potential route deviations.
- Immediately start the review process of the Directive and begin designing measures with Member States and the European Commission to address route deviations preemptively and enable prompt action to prevent such deviations.
- Establish a network of focal points in the Member States to exchange information on the analysis and monitoring at national level of the application of the EU ETS to the maritime sector, so that the European Commission can periodically share information, diagnoses and any plans, initiatives or measures that could be developed.
- Strengthen the efforts to look for global and ambitious solutions at IMO level to safeguard competitiveness of EU shipping and ports.