Ports and institutions of the Autonomous Communities Spain's maritime vessels are taking action so that entry In force next January of the European directive Regulation (EEC) No 2023/959 extending the system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading in the EU, not penalise Spanish ports, especially the busiest ones in transhipment traffic, inducing shipowners to direct their ships to ports outside Europe in order not to incur payments under the new emissions tax system Naval.

For the autonomous region of Andalusia, with its port of Algeciras which handles about 28% of the entire traffic of container that passes through Spanish ports, is essential mitigating the impact of the forthcoming entry into force of the Directive as a result of which the ports of the Mediterranean and, therefore, those Andalusians "will lose competitiveness compared to ports third countries'. This was underlined yesterday by the councillor of the Chair, Antonio Sanz Cabello, speaking at a conference on the Andalusian economy and ports, in which he highlighted the need to "form a common front to demand a moratorium on this measure harms the interests of Andalusian ports.' Union of forces immediately concretized by the Andalusian ports of Algeciras, Cadiz, Almería, Huelva, Malaga, Motril and Seville who also yesterday in Seville met Sanz to solicit a moratorium by the EU and to emphasize that if the problem of shipping emissions "is not addressed at the level of Global, Andalusian ports fear losing market share in the Strait of Gibraltar to the benefit of other northern port areas Africa'.

For the Valencian Community, the President of the Authority Port of Castellón, Rubén Ibáñez, has Promoted a manifesto for the reform of the regulation of the European ETS Emissions Trading System for European transport, which imposes on all ships that from the next first January will stop in the EU to pay for emission rights. Today - explained Ibáñez - a ship that departs from Shanghai and goes to Tanger Med, North Africa, has a cost of zero emissions, but that same ship would pay 50% of the emissions if it docked in Valencia or Castellón. Europe - added - wanted to provide additional regulation and This is good, but we cannot ignore the global nature of the world and reduce competitiveness at a time when Europe is going through a delicate situation. I want to send my solidarity - said Ibáñez - to all the ports that have denounced this rule and to which it associates the Port Authority of Castellón'. Specifying whereas this European standard mainly harms ports with a high share of transhipment traffic, since this traffic can be transferred and operated in any terminal, Ibáñez denounced that 'Europe has put a noose on the neck and if you do not change the regulations will reduce the competitiveness of European countries and, in the short term, it will cause a flight of ships' ports." Ibáñez However, he pointed out that "sustainability is not An option, but an obligation, and not being sustainable has a cost very high."