INTERMANAGER URGES EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO EMPLOY 'POLLUTER PAYS' PRINCIPLE TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY HITS ITS MARK

Ship managers are urging the European Commission to follow the 'polluter pays' approach when finalising legislation intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping in European waters

CAPTAIN KUBA SZYMANSKI
InterManager Secretary General.

They have highlighted concerns that proposed legislation could miss its mark if it holds ship management firms accountable for emissions reductions rather than target the parties who control key pollution-related aspects of ship operation such as fuel, machinery and vessel speed.

The Commission is set to finalise legislation which will include GHG emissions from maritime transport within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) and ship management association InterManager, which represents 80% of the world's largest ship management companies, has submitted a position paper to inform this discussion. Its concerns centre on the definition of the entity responsible for ETS compliance.