27 January 2023

UPCOMING TRILOGUES ON AFIR AND FUEL EU MARITIME

In February, the negotiating teams form the European Parliament, Council and the Commission will meet again in trilogues in view of reaching an agreement on the remaining files of the Fit for 55 Package.

The negotiations on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) will resume on 7 February. CLECAT continues to call on the Council and Parliament to adopt ambitious infrastructure deployment targets, especially regarding charging and refuelling stations for heavy-duty road vehicles. With the expected uptake of zero-emissions trucks in the coming years, which will be boosted by the upcoming revision of the CO2 standards for HDVS (to be presented on 14 February), it is of utmost importance that the AFIR ensures a decent and powerful coverage of the TEN-T network by charging stations.

On 16 February, a trilogue meeting will take place for the FuelEU Maritime Regulation. The legislation should help reducing emissions from ships by setting carbon intensity reduction targets and an obligation to connect to onshore power supply (OPS) in ports. CLECAT participated in a WSC’s breakfast event on 25 January with representatives from the Commission, Parliament and the shipping industry to exchange on the challenges and opportunities brought by FuelEU Maritime regulation. The event highlighted the need of strong and ambitious targets, which will incentivise the shift to low and zero-emission ships while ensuring the required supply of sustainable fuels.

The energy-related files of the Fit for 55 Package will also be discussed among the institutions over the next weeks, with the trilogues for the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) scheduled on 7 February, and on 2 March for the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED).