ECSA exhorts the EU not to accelerate the iter relative to the system of monitoring of the emissions of co2 of the shipping



The European shipowners newly manifest fears for a possible acceleration by the European Union on the adoption of the norms on the verification of the produced carbon dioxide emissions from the marine transport included in the regulations MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification), being worried that this could affect practical commercial and the operating ones of the companies of the field.

In particular the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) has expressed worry for the intention of the Italian presidency of the Council of the EU to speed up for the attainment of the interistituzionale agreement on the regulations MRV for a system of monitoring, communication and verification of the emissions of co2 of the shipping, regulations that - the ECSA considers - could potentially include commercial and operating information.

"The objective declared from the legislators of the EU - it has found the dynamic general secretary of the ECSA, Patrick Verhoeven - until now has been that to return MRV the first step towards a total solution on the produced emissions of co2 from the shipping and considers that it is important to avoid any boomerang effect deriving from unilateral actions of the EU. The co-legislators would have therefore to take into consideration the deliberations in course near the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and to anticipate the reaction of the not European parts of the IMO. In case contrary other Member States of the IMO with a situation could be introduced that in fact could in last hindering a fast agreement to level IMO".

The ECSA has moreover evidenced that the proposal of the EU commission indicates 2018 as year of beginning of the monitoring activity, "so giving - it has emphasized the association - wide margin of time to the IMO in order to decide which total measures are more effective from the environmental and economic point of view". The ECSA therefore has restated own perplexity on the urgency to reach an agreement to level EU "when it would be not only possible, but also more twitches to attend the results of deliberations IMO".

The association of the European shipowners has remembered that in the 2013 EU commission it has introduced the proposal MRV with this in mind to open the road to an international solution and that the IMO has parallel promoted the municipal efforts for the creation of a system of total monitoring. "Currently - it has observed the ECSA - the job on the legislative instrument of the EU is proceeding to a faster rhythm regarding the job of the IMO and here it is the risk".

According to the European shipowners, the norm EU "would have to be most possible simple and directed, so as to be easy adaptable in a subsequent phase in order to include the outcome of the procedure of the IMO. - the ECSA has rimarcato - moreover simpler it remains the instrument EU, more will facilitate the international negotiations instead making useless them".

In consideration of the today's start of it negotiate of the trilogo, the ECSA therefore has invited the legislators of the EU to lay by their attention on the developments to international level so that an unilateral decision of the EU at last does not lead to a regional differentiation and obstacles the progresses in center IMO.

"We hope - it has concluded Verhoeven - than decisive the Europeans they remain on the right roads and they avoid to assume decisions that could hinder the progresses to international level in existence".