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On 11 July, during a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament endorsed the provisional agreements reached with the Council on two important components of the Fit for 55 package: RefuelEU Maritime and AFIR.

The RefuelEU Maritime text introduces new regulations concerning sustainable maritime fuels. The primary objectives of these regulations are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote decarbonization within the maritime sector. The text outlines a progressive reduction plan for greenhouse gas emissions from ships. Starting from 2025, ships will need to gradually decrease the amount of greenhouse gas in the energy they use, aiming for reductions of 2% by 2025, 6% by 2030, 14.5% by 2035, 31% by 2040, 62% by 2045, and 80% by 2050, below the 2020 level of 91.16 grams of CO2 per MJ. Instead, the AFIR text includes a requirement for electric charging stations for trucks and buses. By 2028, these charging stations must be installed every 120 kilometres on half of the main EU roads. The power output of these stations will range from 1400 kW to 2800 kW, depending on the specific road. The text also mandates the installation of two charging stations for trucks in safe and secure parking areas by 2028.

With the full house of the European Parliament approving both files, they are now expected to be reviewed and approved by the Council, which will take place on 25 July.

The adopted text for RefuelEU Maritime can be access via this link, and the adopted text on AFIR can be access here.

Source: European Parliament