Replying to a parliamentary question on the consequences of the the application of the Emissions Trading System to the maritime transport sector, yesterday the Commissioner for the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, reiterated the European Commission's strategy to ensure that inclusion in of shipping in the EU ETS does not have a negative impact on the EU ports, in particular those handling predominantly container transhipment traffic. It's a strategy that is essentially based on the inclusion of airports non-EU countries on the list of neighbouring container transhipment ports, list that - as per the Regulation published in October - currently it includes only the Moroccan port of Tanger Med and the Egyptian port of Port Said East ( of 27 October 2023).

Referring to the concern expressed by the European Dockworkers Council, the trade union association that represents more than 15,000 European port workers, on the impact of the extension of the of the EU ETS to maritime transport, which will take place on next January 1st, could have on the economy and on employment, Spanish MEP Miguel Urbán Crespo (The Left) asked what measures will be put in place to safeguard jobs and working conditions, if For the compilation of the list of neighboring ports, in view of the port infrastructure planned for 2024 that could become primary hubs for transhipment, such as the Moroccan port of Nador West Med, and if, given whereas the construction of new ports and ports of call is underway are about to become operational, it would not be appropriate to revise this list on an ongoing basis.

Hoekstra has confirmed measures to mitigate these risks already established by the EU Commission and re-illustrated by the Commissioner in recent days ( of 17 November 2023). It also reiterated that the implementing act of the Regulations will be reviewed every two years. However, Hoekstra has stated that, beyond this periodicity, 'the The Commission will monitor the impacts of the ETS, inter alia, on the changes in port traffic and the competitiveness of the maritime sector of the EU' and, 'in addition, monitor the avoidance behaviour on an ongoing basis. Where appropriate - has specified - the Commission will propose measures to tackle the avoidance at an early stage'.

As has long been pointed out by the associations of the Hoekstra then confirmed that 'the Commission believes that the best way to avoid circumvention would be to the adoption of an effective comprehensive market-based measure' and whereas, to this end, 'the Commission is fully committed to to support progress at the International Maritime Organization'.