FEPORT welcomes Commission’s “Fit for 55” proposals as a necessary step to meet the EU’s enhanced climate targets[1] in a holistic way but underlines the need to acknowledge and support the efforts of port stakeholders to decarbonize the maritime sector.
FEPORT members have already long ago turned their commitment to sustainability into action and have brought down the GHG emissions of their operations.
Private port companies and terminals also contribute to the decarbonization of the transport sector at large by allowing for the transshipment of goods arriving by sea onto clean transport modes, thereby contributing to modal shift.
FEPORT supports price incentives via proposals like the EU ETS and the Energy Taxation Directive, as well as the “polluter pays principle”.
“The package of measures is ambitious and will require careful assessment from our members particularly with respect to the interdependence that exists between some measures and the need to ensure consistency between them to guarantee sustainable efficiency” says Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid, FEPORT Secretary General.
“FEPORT is looking forward to having constructive discussions with EU regulators with respect to the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure and the necessity to make investments that are founded on business cases and real demand. It will be also important to support port stakeholders in their efforts to provide transitional fuels for which a return on investment might be compromised over the mid-long term” adds FEPORT Secretary General.
“We fully subscribe to the objectives of the Green Deal and EU’s enhanced climate targets. However, it will also be essential to keep in mind that the competitiveness of European ports is also a priority and that the competition with non-EU neighboring ports is an important issue to be considered when discussing mechanisms that may impact imports and exports transported via EU ports” mentions FEPORT Secretary General.
“To conclude, we hope that EU regulators will be receptive to our contributions and views as the tremendous environmental challenges ahead call for a solid public-private partnership in all sectors to the benefit of societies and citizens” concludes Ms Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid.
Source: FEPORT