The European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal, which addresses several areas related to the maritime sector in terms of decarbonization and sustainable energy solutions, is welcomed by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) in a statement.
The agreement provides for measures to strengthen every stage of production in the maritime sectors, while focusing on the clean technology sector which is at the heart of future competitiveness.
“Securing targeted investments in the production, distribution and uptake of sustainable marine fuels, as part of the upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, is crucial to achieving the sector’s decarbonization objectives, while ensuring the competitiveness of European shipping,” ECSA said in a statement.
It also stated that leveraging revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System and Member States is essential to develop industrial capacity in Europe and to bridge the huge price gap between conventional and clean fuels, which can be up to five times more expensive.
The European Community Shipowners’ Associations pointed out, national revenue collection mechanisms from the ETS can support the goals towards the decarbonization of shipping.
ECSA also added that for the competitiveness of European industry, it is crucial to implement the Commission’s commitment to reduce the reporting tax by at least 25% for all companies and by at least 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the European shipping industry.
“In this respect, the first omnibus package is a good step forward,” ECSA noted, stressing, however, that subsequent simplification packages should also consider the progress made since the implementation of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) greenhouse gas strategy with the aim of aligning EU legislation and ensuring a level playing field internationally.
