European shipowners are demanding more money from the EU to transform the shipping industry. Specifically, it is about the revenue from the EU ETS.
The background to this demand is the EU’s “Clean Industrial Deal” (CID), which has now come into force. This initiative aims to make industry in Europe more competitive and climate-neutral. This is to be achieved through low-emission, renewable fuels, among other things. Shipping also falls under the sectors mentioned.
With the “Clean Industrial Deal”, the EU wants to mobilize more than €100 billion for the development of “green” production capacities in Europe. An amendment to the InvestEU Regulation is intended to increase the amount of possible financial guarantees. This would make up to a further €50 billion available for investments, according to the EU.
European shipowners welcome this step in principle, but are also making demands of their own. The revenue from emissions trading (EU ETS) should be used directly to finance production capacities and the market launch of alternative, “clean” fuels for shipping. Specifically, €9 billion is mentioned.
“Using the revenue from the EU-wide emissions trading scheme is essential to bridge the huge price gap between conventional and clean fuels,” says Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General of ECSA. He also appeals to the Brussels Commission to reduce bureaucracy and ensure a level playing field at international level.
