European Parliament approves law on sustainable marine fuels

MEPs adopted new rules on cleaner maritime fuels. During the negotiations with Council, they ensured that ships will have to gradually reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by cutting the amount of GHG in the energy they use (below 2020 level) by 2% as of 2025 to 80% as of 2050. This would apply to ships above a gross tonnage of 5000, which are in principle responsible for 90% of CO2 emissions, and to all energy used on board in or between EU ports, as well as to 50% of energy used on voyages where the departure or arrival port is outside of the EU or in EU outermost regions.

In order to significantly reduce air pollution in ports, containerships and passenger ships will be obliged to use on-shore power supply for all electricity needs while moored at the quayside in major EU ports as of 2030. Thanks to MEPs, the new rules also set a 2% renewable fuels usage target as of 2034 if the Commission reports that in 2031 renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) amount to less than 1% of fuel mix.

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Next steps

The new rules on sustainable maritime fuels were backed by 555 votes to 48 and 25 abstentions.

In adopting the new rules, Parliament is responding to citizens’ expectations to improve existing transportation infrastructure from an ecological point of view and to promote environmentally friendly shipping, as expressed in Proposals 2(7) and 4(5) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

More information: European Parliament