The European Shipowners' Association (ECSA) and the association of European airlines Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) urged the European Commission to direct the use of of the revenues at European and national level of the ETS EU emissions trading to invest in fuels and sustainable technologies for maritime and air transport in order to accelerate the decarbonisation of the two sectors.

The two associations highlighted that maritime transport and air already contribute more than €11 billion to the EU ETS revenue and underlined the importance of the to channel these funds towards low-risk investments in sustainable fuels that - ECSA and A4E recalled - today cost an average of four times more to transport maritime and three to six times more for aviation compared to conventional fuels. The two associations have stressed that closing this price gap between fuels sustainable and conventional is essential to increase their availability on the market and, to that end, the Commission EU member states should require EU member states to allocate at least part of the revenues from the ETS to the adoption and availability of sustainable transport fuels maritime and air transport, and encourage them to integrate any existing EU mechanisms with revenues from the national ETS.

"European shipowners - underlined the secretary General of ECSA, Sotiris Raptis - are at the forefront of Total investments in fuel-powered ships sustainable, with 44% of world orders, but the availability of of fuels in Europe is not keeping pace. Asia is a leader with 74% of fuel production projects, while Europe accounts for only 10%, and less than 5% of production sustainable fuels is currently being to maritime use. The maritime sector - added Raptis - contributes around €nine billion to the EU ETS. These funds should be used at European level and to close the price gap and support the availability of sustainable fuels and clean technologies. This is crucial for the energy transition of the sector and for the energy security of the continent".

Ourania Georgoutsakou, General Manager of Airlines for Europe, recalled that "in 2024 alone, the European airlines contributed €2.3 billion to the EU ETS, a figure destined to exceed five billion per year by 2030. And yet - he lamented - revenues are not are reinvested in the fuels and technologies of which the airlines need to decarbonize. The 20 million available SAF quotas are not sufficient for what will be necessary by 2030 and, without clarity on the availability After 2030, the investments are not justifiable. The airlines, and ultimately passengers - denounced Georgoutsakou - are funding a system that does not work or for them nor for the climate. Investing ETS revenues in availability and purchase of fuel is essential for the decarbonisation of maritime and air transport and for Europe's energy security".