EMEA News
CO2 Monitoring Called Too Burdensome for Small Ships
A European Parliament version of a proposed CO2 emissions monitoring rule would unfairly burden operators of small ships, the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) said in a statement.
As first proposed by the European Commission last June, the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) rules for CO2 emissions would have applied only to ships above 5,000 gross tonnes (GT), but a draft report adopted by the European Parliament in January would extend the rules to cover ships of 400 GT or more and also added monitoring of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.
"Let us not forget that the MRV system is supposed to be the first step to a global solution on CO2 emissions from shipping," said Patrick Verhoeven, ECSA Secretary General.
"By extending the scope of the proposed Regulation, the EU might hinder a speedy agreement at IMO level, thus shooting itself in the foot.
"The 400 GT limit and the resulting inclusion of small emitters will place unacceptable burdens on small ships, which proportionally represent but a very limited fraction of the total CO2 emissions.
Last month, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Board of Directors called for the EU to defer a deal on the monitoring plan until IMO discussions on global rules can move forward.
