Shipping is an international industry which requires meaningful global regulations to decarbonise.
A global framework is essential to ensure a level playing field at international level, and as such, European Shipowners have reiterated their trust and commitment to the IMO process and will continue to work with our international partners to ensure progress can be made.
Ensuring an international level-playing field and avoiding double regulation remains a key priority for ensuring European shipping remains competitive. European companies represent around 35% of the global fleet. The European fleet is growing, but other fleets are growing faster. European policymakers should support the competitiveness of European shipping, which is a cornerstone of Europe’s energy, food and supply chain security.
The EU should send a clear message that the EU measures are transitional and that it will withdraw the European legislation when the IMO international measures are adopted.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that European shipping not only competes internationally, but also with other transport modes in Europe. We are closely looking at the challenges related to the risk of modal shift from sea to road under the EU climate legislation, and we are very concerned about the postponement of Emission Trading System for road transport (ETS2) and the watering-down of the CO2 standards for road transport.
Shipping plays a strategic role in connecting Europe with the rest of the world. European shipping represents 35% of the global fleet, while 76% of EU’s external trade is carried by sea, and 87% of EU gas imports arrive by sea. European shipping is therefore playing a critical role in the competitiveness and security of the continent and enables Europe to be a leader in the global supply chain.
The attacks in the Red Sea and the growing piracy threats have a significant impact on trade flows and remind us that securing trade lanes is extremely essential for the continent’s economic security. At the same time, today’s trade tensions are reshaping global supply chains. Unlike the US and China, the EU’s economy relies significantly on international trade. A strong European fleet is essential not only to guarantee free trade but also to reduce dependence on third countries.
For this reason, European shipowners are firmly against protectionist measures. Ensuring open trade lanes and strengthening international trade partnerships must remain a strategic priority for Europe.
Maintaining safe and secure maritime trade lanes is crucial for the EU’s supply chain security. In its role as a global maritime security provider, the EU should continue its work to ensure the protection of international shipping lanes. In particular, the EU should continue to prioritise the protection of shipping lanes, notably in the Red Sea, Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea, through EUNAVFOR Operations Atalanta and Aspides and the Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP).
Making clean fuels available is a prerequisite for the energy transition of shipping, and it is a top priority for our industry. While decisions on which fuels to invest in and use must remain commercial decisions for companies, policymakers must create the framework conditions for making clean fuels and technologies available at an affordable cost.
The energy transition is an opportunity for European fuel suppliers to produce the clean fuels needed for shipping in Europe. This is not only essential for the energy transition of shipping. It is an opportunity to make the maritime industrial cluster more competitive, while reducing energy dependencies from third countries.
The Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), published in November 2025, highlights the need to swiftly ramp up the production of clean fuels for shipping in Europe. The EUR 9 billion generated from the contribution of shipping to the EU ETS should be used to bridge the immense price gap with clean fuels that are on average four times more expensive.
A requirement to direct the national ETS revenues from shipping in the maritime sector should be introduced in EU law, as long as the shipping sector continues to pay for its emissions under the EU ETS. National ETS revenues should be invested in the uptake of clean maritime fuels and clean maritime technologies.
STIP correctly points out that clear requirements are missing for European suppliers to make clean fuels available in the market for shipping. As a first step towards the introduction of a binding mandate on fuel suppliers, we welcome the commitment to further incentivise the uptake of clean fuels to meet the targets of the Renewable Energy Directive and the FuelEU Maritime. The use of the ETS revenues should also be matched by a binding mandate on European suppliers to make clean fuels available for shipping.
Coordination within the industry is also essential. For this reason, European Shipowners | ECSA have led on the establishment of the Clean Maritime Fuels Platform, a bottom-up industry initiative, aiming to enhance communication between the shipping sector and fuel producers and to identify common challenges and possible solutions for the energy transition. We remain committed to continuing this dialogue with all stakeholders across the maritime value chain.
We need dedicated support mechanisms, accessible financing, and clear regulatory commitments, to achieve the sector’s energy transition, while maintaining the global competitiveness of European shipping.
- SECRETARY GENERAL, EUROPEAN SHIPOWNERS | ECSA
