Malta Maritime Forum calls for freezing of EU ‘green’ law until worldwide system in place 

During high-level talks in Brussels, the Malta Maritime Forum called for the suspension of certain EU climate legislation until global maritime decarbonisation measures are implemented.

The MMF has sounded the alarm on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and FuelEU rules for maritime transport, warning they are harming the competitiveness of southern European ports such as Malta without even reducing carbon emissions in European waters.

It warned that transhipment business is largely shifting to new hubs along the North African coast, with southern EU ports at risk of being reduced to feeder hubs. 

Meanwhile, carbon levels in European waters haven’t actually reduced since the EU is unable to enforce the directive in North African countries.

The MMF also proposed extended derogations for small islands to major islands and prolonging the sunset clause until 2035, excluding EU transhipment port where transhipment exceeds 65 per cent of total activity from the “port of call” definition under the ETS Directive and excluding short sea shipping from EU ETS coverage until the road transport ETS2 becomes operational. 

The MMF put forward these proposals directly to key policy stakeholders in Brussels, including Malta’s MEPs, European Commissioner Glenn Micallef and EU ETS Head of Unit within DG Clima. 

MMF Chairman Godwin Xerri expressed his encouragement at the feedback received during these meetings, highlighting that all European port and port services associations are completely aligned with the Forum’s position as are the Maltese stakeholders working in Brussels.   

Between now and July, it will step up its representations to influence the European Commission’s ETS review process in a constructive manner.