On 19 May 2025, the European Union and the United Kingdom held their first high-level summit since Brexit, marking a renewed phase of cooperation. Hosted in London, the summit concluded with the adoption of three key documents: a Joint Statement, a Security and Defence Partnership, and a Common Understanding on a renewed EU-UK agenda. Among the many areas of collaboration, maritime safety and emissions trading featured prominently—both of which are of strategic importance to the port and logistics sector.
FEPORT welcomes the commitment of the European Commission and the UK to strengthen cooperation on maritime security. The focus areas – ranging from ship and port facility security to maritime cyber security and autonomous vessels – reflect shared priorities in ensuring safe, resilient, and future-ready maritime operations. The alignment with international frameworks, such as the ISPS Code and IMO initiatives, is particularly important for maintaining high standards across European ports.
FEPORT also supports the agreement to work towards linking the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) with the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). This initiative is a crucial step toward harmonising carbon pricing mechanisms and avoiding competitive distortions in sectors like maritime transport.
The proposed linkage would:
- Enable mutual exemptions from Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) for compliant goods.
- In terms of material scope, the agreement should cover all aspects of the functioning of an ETS link.
- The sectors falling in the scope of the ETS linking agreement should be clearly defined to avoid risks of carbon leakage and competitive distortions. Among others, this scope should include the sectors of electricity generation, industrial heat generation (excluding the individual heating of houses), industry, domestic and international maritime transport and domestic and international aviation.
These developments signal a constructive path forward for EU-UK cooperation in areas that directly impact the port sector. FEPORT remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance maritime safety, environmental sustainability, and regulatory coherence across borders.
