Yesterday, Italy presented to the European Council of Ministers transport, in public session, a document on the negative effects the extension of the ETS to maritime transport services for EU emissions trading. Specifying that it is the urgency of suspending the legislation and of include corrective measures to protect the most - transhipment, Motorways of the Sea and connections with the major islands - the president of Assaarmatori, Stefano Messina, highlighted that "the Italian information is complete and consistent with the commitment that our country, together with its partners has been going on for some time to address distortions created by the maritime ETS. Unfortunately, the ideological short-sightedness of a Commission, which continues to rely on a partial and inaccurate market monitoring - said Messina - is holding back concrete and indispensable solutions for the sector. The new pro-industry attention shown in recent months by the European institutions, and reiterated by the speech in the Chamber of the Commissioner for Transport Tzitzikostas, however, gives hope whereas the revision of the Directive, scheduled for next year, can finally mark a change of pace also for transport maritime".

The president of Assarmatori stressed that it is necessary to "Quickly correct the critical issues of the directive ETS, without waiting for the timing of internal negotiations of the IMO. European regional measures - he explained - are already facilitating the increase in investment and traffic to the terminals of transshipment and determining market trends concerned about the services of the Motorways of the Sea and connections with the major islands. The proposals put forward by Italy and the two Mediterranean partners - he specified referring to the support to the Italian information by Greece and Malta - on which Portugal and Croatia, also expressed favourably, outline a clear action plan: from the suspension of the application of the exemption of the most affected segments. The next months will be decisive. The commitment of the government, and in particular of the Minister Salvini - Messina concluded - can be decisive in guiding the Mediterranean front during the next negotiations".