European Parliament News

With its new CCS-strategy, the European Commission has outlined a common direction for the capture, utilization, and storage of CO2 in the EU. The strategy highlights Denmark as a pioneer in the field, and Danish Shipping predicts that Denmark could play a central role.The strategy, named the "Industrial Carbon Management Strategy," sets the framework for the ambition to build an internal market for CO2, benefiting both the climate and employment. All measures are aimed at achieving…

European renewable ethanol producers have launched a legal challenge to the EU’s FuelEU Maritime Regulation on the grounds that it fails to properly recognise the proven benefits of sustainable crop-based biofuels and has therefore violated several key EU legislative procedures.Companies representing nearly all of the EU’s production of renewable ethanol are seeking to annul a section of the legislation that considers crop-based biofuels to have the same emission factors as the least favourable fossil fuel pathway.

The European Parliament has officially adopted the Berendsen report, an own-initiative report on “building a comprehensive European Port Strategy” (585 in favor, 21 against, 26 abstentions).The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomed the support for the strategic and vital role that Europe’s ports play for European society and economy. ESPO supports the Parliament’s plea to further harmonize the measures to strengthen the resilience and protection of Europe’s critical infrastructure, including ports.

A new EU agreement on waste shipments is set to remove a legal roadblock to make it possible for a raft of non-OECD ship recycling yards to be included on an EU-approved list, which would unleash much-needed shipbreaking capacity for a massive wave of tonnage due to be scrapped over the coming years, according to green recycling consultancy Sea Sentinels.The European Parliament and Council have agreed to allow exports of hazardous waste, including that contained in EU-flagged ships…

ClassNK recently released FAQs on the FuelEU Maritime (1st Edition), an overview and necessary preparation for FuelEU Maritime, regulations newly introduced by the European Union (EU) to promote the decarbonization of fuels used on board ships.The EU has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to the 1990 levels, with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.As part of a comprehensive climate policy package "Fit for 55" for achieving this goal…

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has called for the safe and environmentally friendly recycling of the FSO Safer, currently being salvaged off the coast of Yemen.The UNDP is looking for a destination for the FSO’s recycling, and the Platform is calling on the Dutch government, one of the biggest donors to the Stop Red Sea Oil Pollution operation, to assist UNDP in identifying a suitable recycling facility. The Netherlands has shown leadership in preventing the environmental disaster an oil spill from the FSO Safer would have caused, says the Platform, along with Dutch company Boskalis, via its subsidiary SMIT Salvage, which has been tasked with the removal of the oil from the FSO.Referring to Dutch involvement in the Stop Red Sea Oil Pollution operation…

The European Council has adopted five laws that are part of the Fit for 55 package, including the amendment to include shipping in the EU emissions trading system (ETS).The package sets the EU’s policies in line with its commitment to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to achieve climate neutrality in 2050.The vote in the Council is the last step of the decision-making procedure. The laws will now be signed by the Council and the European Parliament and published in the EU’s Official Journal before entering into force.After that time…

Political pressure is building within the European Union to tackle the daunting challenge of closing a loophole in its efforts to stop using Russian fossil fuels: liquefied natural gas (LNG).In the year since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the EU has placed sanctions on seaborne oil and coal imports from Russia.It has drastically cut reliance on Russian pipeline gas, despite not imposing sanctions on the fuel. But at the same time, EU countries have increased their overall purchases of Russian LNG…

A significant element of the U.K. government’s levelling up plan to create thousands of jobs, regenerate more deprived areas and attract overseas investors is the introduction of freeports. These special low-tax trading zones allow all kinds of businesses to trade.Under the U.K. model, freeports can encompass two different kinds of sites. On customs sites, authorized businesses will be able to import certain goods with simplified customs documentation and without paying tariffs. Domestic goods can also be held in a customs site and used in any manufacturing process.

Three companies from very different sectors have joined forces to achieve a decentralized production of bio-LNG designated for use as a clean marine fuel. The partners Attero, Nordsol and Titan met at the site for the plant – located at the facility of waste processor Attero in Wilp, the Netherlands – where the final investment decision was made and where building can now begin.The FirstBio2Shipping project is set to deliver the first bio-LNG in early 2024. The plant will produce around 2,400 tons/year of bio-LNG (or liquefied biomethane).

European Union countries are considering a ban on Russian ships entering the bloc's ports, aiming to tighten sea restrictions after a halt on air traffic, European officials say, a step that would further hamper Russia's commercial shipments.Britain already decided on Monday to deny entry to British ports to all ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered or flagged. Canada followed on Tuesday, saying it would shut its ports to Russian-owned ships later this week, a day after it banned Russian crude oil imports.

The European Commission has proposed adding shipping to the bloc's carbon market for the first time, in a move that is set to shake up the industry after years of avoiding pollution charges by the bloc.But already there is disagreement about how it will work given the complexities of the shipping industry and how fast it can decarbonize.Here is what is known so far about the process ahead.Why should shipping be included in the ETS?With about 90% of world trade transported by sea…

On January 14, 2022 the European Parliament’s Rapporteur, MEP Peter Liese, published his draft report on a proposal to revise the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive¹ which forms part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package of climate and energy reforms published on July 14, 2021. The draft report includes a number of ambitious amendments to emissions trading for the maritime sector – the Maritime ETS – which, if agreed, will put more pressure on the maritime industry to switch to cleaner fuels sooner than originally planned.

European Commission proposals to bring shipping into the bloc's carbon market contain exclusions for small commercial and military vessels that would leave millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions unregulated, an NGO study showed on Thursday.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions. So far, the industry has avoided the EU's system of pollution charges.Under proposals announced in July 2021, shipping would be added to the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS) from 2023 phased over a three-year period…

Italy's biggest banking group Intesa Sanpaolo could help fund Novatek's Arctic LNG 2 project even as some European governments show lukewarm support for the giant Russian gas project."We are studying the dossier ... though no decision has as yet been taken," Antonio Fallico, chairman of group unit Banca Intesa Russia, told Reuters on Wednesday.Fallico said the bank had been invited to look at the financing deal by SACE, the state-owned Italian export credit agency."If the bank decides this project does not breach our policy in some way we'll do it…

EU shipping power Greece has told the European Commission that adding the industry to the bloc's carbon emissions trading scheme should be proportionate and tightly enforced to secure a level playing field for the European fleet in global markets.In a letter sent to Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that countries should also get back the revenue raised by the costs their ships would pay and that money should be spent on decarbonizing maritime transport.Greek-owned vessels represent 58% of the EU's fleet…

Shipping will be included in Europe’s emissions trading system (ETS) and costs for polluters are set to rise under Brussels’ plans to meet the European Union’s climate targets, the European Commission said on Wednesday.The EU ETS, which forces emitters to pay for each tonne of carbon dioxide they generate, is the keystone of an EU drive to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030.Manufacturers, power firms and airlines operating flights inside Europe are already covered by the scheme but…

Ship owners could be forced to pay for pollution from their vessels or face bans from European Union ports under draft plans to add shipping emissions to the bloc's carbon market.Shipping does not at present face EU emissions targets, but that is set to change under proposals to make its economy greener which are due to be published next month.A draft proposal, seen by Reuters, would expand the carbon market to cover shipping emissions within the EU, international voyages to the…

The European Union will push for tougher standards to cut the CO2 emissions intensity of ships at a meeting of the United Nations' maritime agency next week, a senior official said on Thursday.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will next week discuss measures to steer shipping towards its pledge to halve shipping's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, from 2008 levels.Among them are standards requiring ships to reduce their CO2 intensity. An IMO working group has proposed an 11% carbon intensity cut by 2026…

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the European Union on Wednesday of never acting honestly towards his country and said Ankara was not concerned by any economic sanctions the bloc might impose on it.EU foreign ministers said on Monday Turkey had failed to help end a row with Greece and Cyprus over potential gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean, but they left a decision on sanctions for a summit of EU leaders that starts on Thursday.NATO ally Turkey has been at odds with EU members Greece and Cyprus over the extent of their continental shelves in the east Mediterranean.

Japan, South Korea and a fleet of international shipping groups have warned the European Union against its plan to add greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime sector to Europe’s carbon market.As the 27-country EU seeks to steer its economy towards “net zero” emissions by 2050, the executive European Commission wants to expand its carbon market to shipping.Currently, the policy requires power plants, factories and airlines running European flights to buy pollution permits to cover their emissions.The proposal…

The European Parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of including greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime sector in the European Union's carbon market from 2022, throwing its weight behind EU plans to make ships pay for their pollution.Shipping is the only sector which does not face EU targets to cut emissions, but it is coming under increased scrutiny as the bloc attempts to steer industries towards its plan to become "climate neutral" by 2050.In a vote on Tuesday, EU lawmakers said the bloc's carbon market should be expanded to include emissions from voyages within Europe…

European lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to include international carbon emissions from the maritime sector in the EU carbon market, targeting an industry that does not yet pay for its pollution.They also called for binding targets for shipping companies to reduce the annual average CO2 emissions of all ships when in operation, by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, going further than an original European Commission proposal.Pollution from ships plying international waters usually escapes countries’ domestic emissions-cutting targets…