Harnessing untapped potential of maritime transport

Ahead of the upcoming European law proposals on maritime transport, the European Parliament will vote today and tomorrow on its ideas for making the shipping sector cleaner and more efficient. The EPP Group underlines its support for an ambitious but realistic long-term strategy to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.

“Maritime transport is already the most energy-efficient way of transporting goods and passengers, but it is high time to harness its untapped potential. Decarbonisation and improving air quality remain a significant challenge for this sector. Thanks to the contribution from all sectors of the economy, maritime included, we will effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants in Europe and achieve climate neutrality by 2050”, said Magdalena Adamowicz MEP, who negotiated the Report on behalf of the EPP Group.

The Report advocates the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon and sustainable alternative fuels, as well as recognises the role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transition fuel for ships. It also backs bottom-up initiatives on zero-emission ports and promotes onshore power supply (OPS) for ships when in European ports and supports decarbonisation initiatives undertaken within the framework of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

“Maritime transport plays an essential role in the European economy and we have to safeguard its competitiveness and protect all jobs in this sector. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that measures adopted at EU level are based on comprehensive impact assessments that take the global context and existing decarbonisation initiatives, the risk of carbon leakage, and the availability of new technologies into account”, concluded Adamowicz.