While appreciating the efforts that European legislators are making Ensuring that the inclusion of maritime transport in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) does not penalise the ports of the European Union, the association of European ports ESPO and the federation of European private port terminalists FEPORT suggested some corrections so that the political agreement for the revision of the EU ETS, which the European Parliament should vote next March 13, safeguard competitiveness of EU port ports.

ESPO and FEPORT recalled that the revision of the EU system ETS will apply to maritime transport and, after a period of of gradual introduction between 2024 and 2026, will require shipping companies to submit quotas covering the 100% of the emissions produced by their sea voyages made within the EU (between two EU ports) and those produced in ports of the EU and 50% of emissions from extra-EU travel (between an EU port and a non-European port). According to the association of European ports and the federation of terminal operators, however, the of geographical application of the EU ETS agreement could lead to shipping companies to have their ships make calls evading in non-European ports in order to avoid payments under the EU ETS, for example by adding a stopover to the route outside the EU or by reconfiguring their sea routes.

ESPO and FEPORT have highlighted that such circumvention will risk the EU ETS with the consequence of increasing the emissions from longer voyages and not to induce shipping companies to decarbonise their activities. The two organizations also pointed out that fewer auctions would mean lower revenue for the decarbonisation of shipping and that ports of call evade would adversely affect employment and activity trade of some EU ports.

While ESPO and FEPORT expressed appreciation for the efforts implemented by the European co-legislators to introduce a definition of "port of call" excluding calls at ports of call transhipment of containers close to the EU and judged positively the fact that the European Commission is committed to monitor and report on the impact of the EU ETS on trafficking ports and current operations by shipping companies To circumvent the system, however, they stressed the need for that the Commission acts as soon as an activity is identified Elusive.

To this proposition, the two organizations have emphasized the need for the European Commission, in addition to using the AIS and customs data, and the value of imported goods and exported through EU ports, to assess whether they have been made changes in maritime traffic and identify actions elusive, you also use additional parameters. For ESPO and FEPORT, in fact, The indicators envisaged would make it possible to identify an activity elusive only after this has already happened and is It is therefore essential to detect these activities in a timely manner. before they are irreversibly consolidated.

According to ESPO and FEPORT, the Commission should also assess possible distortions and circumvention implemented by all competitors non-European. In particular, they consider it necessary that the Commission monitors distortive and elusive activities through all non-European ports that could be used to carry out such activities, and not only those ports non-European countries where the share of transhipment traffic exceeds 65% of total container traffic. For the two organizations, given whereas such activities could be conducted through ports or terminal below that threshold, this should be immediately lowered or abandoned.

In addition, ESPO and FEPORT invited other parties to be involved. concerned, including port authorities, terminal operators and trade unions, in monitoring the impact of the EU Maritime ETS, monitoring that should also take into account the impact overall climate package "Fit for 55" which includes the EU ETS.

Finally, ESPO and FEPORT urged to consider investing a significant part of the revenues from the EU ETS in EU ports, allocating resources to Member States on the basis of stopovers in leads to ensure that investments in decarbonisation is targeted at sites where emissions take place.