STRONGER SAFEGUARDS NEEDED AGAINST MARITIME ETS TRAFFIC DIVERSION
CLECAT welcomes amendments tabled by Members of the European Parliament to the review of the EU Emissions Trading System for maritime transport, aimed at strengthening safeguards against carbon leakage and the diversion of maritime traffic away from European ports. The amendments reflect growing support across political groups for addressing carbon leakage and the diversion of maritime traffic away from European ports. CLECAT hopes these amendments will be part of the final compromise package prepared by the rapporteurs and shadows.
The revision of the ETS text offers a unique opportunity to translate the recognition of the role of EU ports and terminals into efficient measures that protect them from business leakage without causing any undesirable, unintended consequences for the climate targets, the level playing field between ports or the organisation of shipping routes. However, monitoring the effects of the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime must go beyond aggregate port throughput. A port may retain cargo volumes while losing direct connections, with greater reliance on feeder services, longer transit times, reduced reliability and higher logistics costs for European importers and exporters.
A robust and transparent assessment should therefore examine changes in direct port calls, transhipment patterns, service frequency and total logistics costs. Particular attention is needed for Mediterranean ports, island Member States and peripheral regions exposed to nearby non-EU competitors.