Guidance

Maritime transport in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)

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Last reviewed: ‎07‎ ‎May‎ ‎2024

The maritime sector will be gradually included in the Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 2024 and will be fully phased in by 2026.

For ships leaving or arriving in the EU from third countries, the shipping company must purchase emission allowances for 50 percent of the emissions caused by the voyage. For voyages within the EU, 100 percent of emissions apply. Initially, carbon dioxide emissions will be covered and from 2026 methane and nitrous oxide will also be included. Initially, larger ships (over 5 000 gross tonnage) will be covered.

This page is aimed at

The entity responsible for the obligations within the EU MRV and EU ETS for the maritime sector is called shipping company.

The revised ETS Directive and the revised EU MRV Regulation contain the main rules for the implementation of the maritime sector within the EU ETS. The European Commission has also developed several delegated and implementing regulations with supplementary rules for the maritime sector. The maritime sector has also been included in Swedish legislation since 1 January 2024.

ETS Directive 2003/87/EC
EUR-Lex - 02003L0087-20230605 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

MRV Regulation (EU) 2015/757
EUR-Lex - 02015R0757-20240101 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/411 on the list of shipping companies specifying the administering authority in respect of a shipping company
Implementing decision - 2024/411 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2599 regards the administration of shipping companies by administering authorities in respect of a shipping company
Implementing regulation - EU - 2023/2599 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2297 identifying neighbouring container transhipment ports
Implementing regulation - EU - 2023/2297 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2449 regards templates for monitoring plans, emissions reports, partial emissions reports, documents of compliance, and reports at company level, and repealing Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1927
Implementing regulation - EU - 2023/2449 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2895 laying down the list of islands and ports referred to in Article 12(3-d) of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and the list of transnational public service contracts or transnational public service obligations referred to in Article 12(3-c) of that Directive
Implementing decision - EU - 2023/2895 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2776 regards the rules for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and other relevant information from maritime transport
Delegated regulation - EU - 2023/2776 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2849 as regards the rules for reporting and submission of the aggregated emissions data at company level
Delegated regulation - EU - 2023/2849 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2917 on the verification activities, accreditation of verifiers and approval of monitoring plans by administering authorities
Delegated regulation - EU - 2023/2917 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

Swedish legislation

News

A verified monitoring plan for each ship shall be submitted by 1 April 2024. For ships falling within the scope of the Regulation (EU) 2015/757 after 1 January 2024, a monitoring plan shall be submitted no later than three months after each ship's first call in a port of an EU Member State.

Who falls under the scope?

The entity assumed responsibility for the obligations under the EU MRV and EU ETS for the maritime sector is called a shipping company. The definition of shipping company is found in Article 3(w) of the ETS Directive (2003/87/EC). According to the definition, a shipping company is one of the following:

  1. the shipowner, or
  2. any other organisation or person, such as the manager or the bareboat charterer, that has assumed the responsibility for the operation of the ship from the shipowner and that, on assuming such responsibility, has agreed to take over all the duties and responsibilities imposed by the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention, set out in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 336/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1);

The entity referred to in paragraph 2 above is also referred to as an ISM company. If the ISM company of the ship is to take over the ETS and EU MRV obligations from the shipowner, an agreement shall be established between the two parties in accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2599. The agreement is to be uploaded in THETIS-MRV by adding a document for each ship under Actions/Monitoring Plan/Docs.

Shipowners with an ETS obligation shall submit a list of the ships under their responsibility, as referred to in Article 2 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2599. This is done by uploading a file under Actions/Monitoring Plans/Docs for each ship in THETIS-MRV.

Related information and FAQs

Information from the EU Commission regarding legislation and published recorded webinars:
General maritime webpage

Guidance document 1 (GD1)
Guidance Document - The EU ETS and MRV Martitime General guidance for shipping companies (europa.eu)

FAQ from the EU Commission regarding the maritime sector and EU ETS:
Maritime ETS FAQ

FAQ from the EU Commission regarding the maritime sector and EU MRV:
EU MRV FAQ

FAQ - Monitoring, reporting and verification of maritime transport emissions
Reducing GHG emissions - FAQ MRV Regulation (europa.eu) 

Information from EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency) regarding THETIS-MRV:
EMSA THETIS-MRV information

Information in Swedish from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Energy Agency:

Rederier inom EU ETS (naturvardsverket.se)

Konto för sjöfartsoperatörer (energimyndigheten.se)

E-service for reporting

Please see the link to the e-service used to submit documents such as monitoring plans, emission reports and verification reports, as well as a link to more information and guidance on the e-service.

Contact information