Today (23^rd March), the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the FuelEU Maritime regulation to reduce the carbon footprint of Europe’s maritime sector.

Hydrogen Europe welcomes the stricter greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction targets and the new 2% target by 2034 for RFNBO uptake in the sector. A 2x multiplier until 2035 allowing every ton of e-fuel used to be counted twice towards GHG savings will encourage early movers. Meanwhile, a planned review in 2028 to include smaller ships in the legislation is also positive.

“Overall, we are pleased with the shape the regulation is taking and we congratulate the co-legislators in reaching the agreement, even if the ambitions are not to the level that the hydrogen industry was asking,” said Darko Levicar, Director of Mobility at Hydrogen Europe.

“We know that the maritime sector is global and that traditionally it takes longer to implement and adjust to new changes, but we are confident that by the revision date of 2028, the industry will already show commitment in the uptake of RFNBOs and create an environment for higher ambitions by the end of the decade,” he added.

While these developments are obviously positive, there remains some exemptions that will allow certain ship owners to avoid responsibility. Hydrogen Europe calls on the co-legislators to continue this strong momentum to bring forward a final regulation that will ensure the rapid decarbonisation of Europe’s maritime sector – and encourage the global community to follow suit.

For more information:

Council press release