In view of the revision of the EU's climate objectives for 2040, Transport & Environment (T&E), the association that promotes the reduction of the environmental impact of the has published a briefing in which it illustrates its main recommendations for strengthening the ETS emissions trading of the European Union, in which, in addition to measures already requested, proposes to the Commission European Union to assess the possibility of reducing the threshold of a share of more than 65% of transhipment traffic in the total container traffic handled by a non-EU port that is currently set to exclude the ports adjacent to the EU territory by the definition of 'port of call' in the assessment of the sea route for the purposes of the ETS calculation. That in order to further safeguard the ETS from risk the adoption of system avoidance practices by carriers containerized seafarers.

In addition, according to T&E, the EU should be introduced additional safeguards against carbon leakage carbon by adopting a mechanism similar to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) that has been implemented to prevent the risk of carbon emissions for goods containing carbon emissions greenhouse gases imported into the EU, taxing goods with high carbon intensity in imports. For the association, This goal, for example, could be achieved by switching to a container-based ETS application on a limited number of routes, theoretically those most sensitive to potential Escape. T&E explained that with this type of approach to maritime transport similar to CBAM would apply the price ETS to maritime emissions from freight imported/exported containerized from origin to destination - instead of on the first/last leg of sea voyages - if These containers are transshipped via port hubs in extra-EEA transhipments located in countries close to the EU. That- specified T&E - would further reduce the incentive to replace the transhipment activities carried out within the with non-EU vessels using feeder vessels.

In addition, T&E reiterated its proposal to extend the scope of the of ETS application to ships between 400 and 5,000 tonnes of gross tonnage who - the association recalled - are currently excluded despite their significant impact on emissions. T&E stressed that their inclusion in the ETS would generate an estimated revenue of 2.4 billion euros per year between 2028 and 2035 by introducing strong incentives for the decarbonisation of the fleet.

For Transport & Environment, it is also necessary eliminate exemptions that the association considers superfluous, in particular particularly those relating to ferry routes which, in the opinion of of the association can already be managed with technologies Clean. Many routes currently exempted until 2030 - he explained T&E - are well within the range of routes on which can be used currently Available.

Finally, according to T&E, the ETS should align with the standards of the European FuelEU Maritime Regulation excluding biofuels derived from food and feed which, still considered to have zero greenhouse gas emissions in the of the ETS - the association highlighted - contribute to the indirect land use change and higher emissions.