Interferry, the international association representing shipping companies operating ferry fleets, fully appreciated the new strategy for the maritime industry and EU port project presented on Wednesday by the European Commission ( of 4 March 2026). In particular, Interferry highlighted that the The plan recognises the strategic importance of the ferry sector and urges the Member States to reinvest the revenues from the application of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) in maritime decarbonisation, thus transposing the recommendations of the association.

Stressing that for the decarbonisation of the fleet The maritime industry faces a financial need estimated annual between €2.4 billion and €8.5 billion, Interferry has expressed satisfaction that the Commission has responded to the requests from the ferry industry to use a part of the significant of the approximately ten billion euros raised annually in the ETS to support the uptake of clean technologies. This includes - the association noted - the proposal for a mechanism EU dedicated to providing shipping companies with ETS allowances for sustainable fuels and clean propulsion.

In addition, Interferry noted that the strategy presented by Brussels takes note of recent findings of group studies environmentalists who highlight the wide potential of of the electrification of ferries. The association specified whereas, for the ferry sector, the electrification of ports for facilitating the power supply from the ground is the easier solution for immediate decarbonisation, in how, by supplying electricity to ships at the quayside, the Member States can drastically reduce emissions in cities and reduce the risks of operators' investments in battery-electric ships.

"The Commission - commented the Director for Institutional Affairs of Interferry, Johan Roos - is moving in the right direction by recommending that ETS funds are used exactly where they are used harvests: in maritime decarbonisation. However, we must note that funding must be targeted at the sector and the fleet in their entirety and must not be limited to only to prestigious projects without a wide-ranging impact. We know what we need to do to decarbonise and what we need to do helps is the practical support, whether it's power shore-side electric, electrification or alternative fuels".

Finally, Interferry also expressed appreciation for the commitment to alleviate the administrative burden and to recognise that EU legislation needs to be reviewed once it has been established at the International Maritime Organization, a global measure to decarbonisation in order to avoid double payments.

Interferry made a single note of the new strategy with regard to what is proposed for the European shipbuilding industry, with respect to which the Commission - explained the association - has attention by providing for measures - specified Interferry - which however must support, rather than distort the dynamics of the free market.