Eu Commission News

The EU Commission on Friday said it had cleared the acquisition of the logistics operations of conglomerate Bollore by shipping group CMA CGM, subject to a number of conditions proposed by the companies.The commission, which oversees competition policy in the 27-nation European Union, said that the acquisition had been approved after its investigation found a number of concerns.To address them, the parties agreed to divest all of Bolloré Logistics' activities in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin and French Guiana, as well as a number of assets in metropolitan France linked to these activiti

As risks of cargo diversion to the detriment of EU ports are becoming more and more real with the upcoming entry into force at the beginning of 2024 of EU ETS for shipping, local organizations are voicing their concerns.The Federation of European Port Companies and Private Terminals (FEPORT), European Tugowners’ Association (ETA), European Maritime Pilots’ Association (EMPA) and European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA) members are expressing major concerns regarding the lack of real assessment of the EU ETS for shipping related effects on EU ports.

Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have signed the Aalborg Declaration that aims at joint European cooperation on CO2 capture, use and storage (CCUS).CO2 capture, use and storage must be scaled up, both nationally and at European level, the countries agreed at the signing which occurred at the EU's CCUS Forum this week, hosted in Aalborg, Denmark."Today shows that there is European will, both among us decision-makers and among the industry - and with the Aalborg declaration we are moving closer to a common European market for CO2 capture, use and storage.

The European Commission said on Friday that it would not extend a ban on imports of Ukrainian grains into Ukraine's five EU neighbors due to expire on Friday."It has concluded that thanks to the work of the Coordination Platform and to the temporary measures introduced on 2 May 2023, the market distortions in the 5 Member States bordering Ukraine have disappeared," the European Commission said in a statement.Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria…

More renewable and low-carbon fuels will reduce the carbon footprint of the maritime sector in the EU following the adoption of the FuelEU Maritime initiative by the EU Council.The main objective of the FuelEU maritime initiative, as a key part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package, is to increase the demand for and consistent use of renewable and low-carbon fuels and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector, while ensuring the smooth operation of maritime traffic…

Norwegian shipowner Klaveness Combination Carriers ASA (KCC) said it has completed testing of 30% biofuel aboard its CLEANBU MV Baru on a voyage from the Netherlands to Brazil as part of KCC’s ongoing efforts to gain technical and commercial experience with biofuels.“We are pleased with the outcome of this test and will continue exploring biofuels possibilities going forward. We believe biofuel will be an increasingly important measure over this decade for the shipping industry to reach its carbon reduction targets…

Italy’s plan to create a European shipbuilding champion through Fincantieri’s bid for France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique will be decided by the end of December, its chairman said on Monday, amid signs the deal is in trouble.Italy hopes the tie-up will help state-controlled Fincantieri, Europe’s biggest shipyard, better compete with rivals from Asia and elsewhere.Fincantieri, whose clients include Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, MSC and Disney Cruise Line…

Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm) completed a conversion project for Norwegian company Eidsvaag which saw a platform supply vessel (PSV) transformed into a fish feed carrier dubbed Eidsvaag Opal.Among other things, Damen was required to extend the vessel by 5 meters, which involved the yard cutting the hull in two and inserting in new steel sections. Damen was also required to widen the beam of the vessel – using a series of side boxes – to give additional stability and cargo capacity.

The EU Commission’s big goals for offshore wind – between 230 and 450 GW by 2050 – are achievable provided the right investments in electricity grids and Governments take the right approach to maritime spatial planning, said a report.According to the WindEurope report examines where 450 GW of offshore wind could be deployed most cost-effectively around Europe, bearing in mind there is only 20 GW today. 450 GW of offshore wind is part of a European Commission scenario to deliver climate neutrality by 2050.The report is a remit from the Energy Ministers of the 10 ‘North Seas’ countries who coordinate their work on offshore wind with each other and the Commission.The report concludes that 212 GW should be deployed in the North Sea…

European Commission adopted a new Decision amending Implementing Decision (EU) to update the European List of ship recycling facilities. The said decision has been published on Monday in the Official Journal of the EU.With the 4th version of the list, the European Commission and the Member States add 6 new facilities to the list. These include, for the first time, 3 facilities which are located outside the EU -2 in Turkey and 1 in the United States-. The European Shipowners are fully supporting the expansion of the EU list, and in particular the inclusion of compliant facilities worldwide. From 31st December 2018, the EU Ship Recycling…

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament adopted earlier this week the final report on the Port Reception Facilities and gave a mandate to the Rapporteur Ms Gesine Meissner to start negotiations with the Council and the EU Commission to finalise the text of the new directive.The European Community of Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) supports the polluter pays principle in return for the safe and environmentally sound management of the ship generated waste. Ships will be allowed to deliver all garbage when paying a fixed waste fee, without port-specific limitations towards the volumes delivered.“This will guarantee that ports keep investing in the needed infrastructure, additional capacity and technological developments” says Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s Secretary-General.

The European Shipping industry welcomes the European Commission’s current inspections of ship recycling facilities in order to enlarge the list of approved facilities that will ensure safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.When non EU facilities such as Indian facilities are found to be compliant with the requirements, they should be included in the EU list, as it will facilitate and encourage further positive developments taking place in South Asia and worldwide.By 31st December 2018 all ships flying a European flag have to be recycled in a facility which is included in the European list. “A lot has been written lately on whether…

For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing EUR 6.14 billion under a simpler, more flexible fund for European fisheries and the maritime economy. The new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will continue to support the European fisheries sector towards more sustainable fishing practices, with a particular focus on supporting small-scale fishermen. It will also help unleash the growth potential of a sustainable blue economy towards a more prosperous future for coastal communities. For the first time, it will contribute to strengthening international ocean governance for safer, cleaner, more secure, and sustainably managed seas and oceans.

The Government’s Plan for Growth in the Danish Maritime Sector positions the country to become a global maritime hub by 2025. The plan counts initiatives aimed at making Denmark a global frontrunner within tests of maritime autonomous technologies and maritime digitalisation, creating more work-experience places at sea and increasing the number of applicants admitted to the training programmes for masters and ship officers, as well as ensuring the development of an overall maritime marketing strategy in close cooperation with the industry. The Government’s Plan for Growth is based on the recommendations made by the Maritime Strategy Team. ”With the Plan for Growth in the Danish Maritime Sector, the Government has set the course for Denmark to become a global maritime power hub by 2025.

The European Commission released its report on the viability of a financial incentive for sustainable ship recycling under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation this week. Whilst it acknowledges the benefits for clean and safe ship recycling such an incentive would bring, the European Commission has decided to wait with its introduction. NGOs urge the EU to take action now as it is well documented that ship owners will with ease be able to circumvent the EU Ship Recycling Regulation by simply swapping the flag of their vessel to that of a non-EU State. The report of the European Commission is based on the study which was conducted by Ecorys, DNV-GL and the University of Rotterdam/Erasmus, and published at the end of 2016.

U.S. coal exports have jumped more than 60 percent this year due to soaring demand from Europe and Asia, according to a Reuters review of government data, allowing President Donald Trump's administration to claim that efforts to revive the battered industry are working. The increased shipments came as the European Union and other U.S. allies heaped criticism on the Trump administration for its rejection of the Paris Climate Accord, a deal agreed by nearly 200 countries to cut carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels like coal. The previously unpublished figures provided to Reuters by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed exports of the fuel from January through May totaled 36.79 million tons, up 60.3 percent from 22.94 million tons in the same period in 2016.

A joint event between the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and three Green Members of the European Parliament highlighted the paradox between the strict rules under OSPAR for the decommissioning of fixed oil platforms from the North Sea with the rules that govern the recycling of floating platforms and structures. The latter fall under the same rules as commercial ships, and would therefore have to follow the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform and other stakeholders have already highlighted the weakness of the SRR which needs to be coupled with a financial incentive to curb the trend to flag out and circumvent the legislation.

RINA Services has verified that the entire fleet of the d’Amico Group has met the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of CO2 emissions Regulation (MRV) requirements according to EU 2015/757 Regulation. The fleet comprises 36 vessels which are managed by d’Amico Società di Navigazione and 35 vessels managed by its subsidiary Ishima Pte. Ltd. This new regulation was developed in response to the challenge of reducing greenhouse gases in European territories to the 2050 targets set by EU. By 2030 GHG must be reduced at least by 40 percent below 1990 levels.

Commercial maritime software and services provider Veson Nautical announced that Verifavia, the emissions verification company for the aviation and shipping sectors, officially certified its Veslink Voyage Reporting system as a solution for the European Union’s (EU) upcoming Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) regulation. Veslink Voyage Reporting streamlines data collection and distribution from vessels, operators, agents and counterparties, and is used by more than 100 of the top shipping organizations worldwide, managing over 5,000 vessels. Verifavia Shipping, a fully-accredited global EU MRV Verifier by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and the French Accreditation Body (COFRAC)…

Members of the OCEAN ALLIANCE, COSCO Container Lines, CMA CGM, Evergreen Line and Orient Overseas Container Line,  signed a document entitled the Day One Product, which sets out the proposed OCEAN ALLIANCE’s network, including port rotation for each service loop. The Day One network intends to deploy around 350 container vessels with an estimated total carrying capacity of 3.5 million TEUs to provide one of the most comprehensive service coverage in the market on the following trade lanes. The vessel deployment details for each service loop, will be released around end of this November. 20 Transpacific services (estimated 160 port pairs, with 13 Asia - West Coast North America services, 7 Asia - East Coast North America and U.S.

Arrivals of refugees and migrants to Greece from Turkey rose sharply on Wednesday, just over a week since the European Union and Turkey struck a deal intended to cut off the flow. Greek authorities recorded 766 new arrivals between Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning, up from 192 the previous day. Most arrived on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos. Italy reported an even larger jump in arrivals on Tuesday, when officials there said 1,350 people - mostly from Africa - were rescued from small boats taking the longer migration route over the Mediterranean as the weather warmed up. The EU Commission said on Tuesday that the flows in the last week had reduced…

Draft rules designed to boost the efficiency and cut the cost of services supplied at EU maritime ports, such as mooring and towage, were voted by Parliament on Tuesday. Ensuring transparency in the setting of fees for using port services and infrastructure, and in any public funding that ports receive, should help to prevent price abuse and market distortions and thus boost trade, MEPs say. But current port service arrangements could remain, provided they meet minimum requirements, they add. "We have been able to dismiss the forced free market access to port services.

The Dutch Finance Ministry said on Thursday it was "disappointed" with an EU Commission order to do away with corporate tax exemptions for six ports, including Rotterdam, Europe's largest. The measure puts the Netherlands at a disadvantage, the government said in a statement, calling on the Commission to ensure fair competition. European Union regulators told Dutch authorities on Thursday to scrap a corporate tax exemption for the ports and also ordered Belgium and France to align their port taxation systems with the bloc's state aid rules. "The Commission's decisions today regarding the Netherlands, Belgium and France make clear that if port operators generate profits from economic activities these should be taxed," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.