Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus have agreed to coordinate over European shipping emission trading rules, the Maltese Government has said in a statement.

Ministers from the four countries met in Cyprus, with Malta’s Sustainable Mobility Minister Chris Bonett representing Malta.

The need to continue safeguarding the competitiveness of the European maritime sector as a strategic economic pillar, as well as its importance to European connectivity and resilience, was discussed. In this context, the discussions focused in particular on the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, with particular attention to developments by the European Union concerning the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which was recently published by the European Commission.

It appears, the Government said, that the major objections raised by Malta and the countries mentioned, regarding how this system was to operate are to begin being addressed, particularly with regard to transhipment proposals.

However, it was acknowledged that much work remains to be done, the Government said, “and the published review still needs to be amended in a number of respects, above all to provide special recognition to states that are, or have, islands whose connectivity and the importation of basic goods for their populations depend primarily on the sea.”

The same applies to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework on the decarbonisation of the sector, which remains the best solution to establish a global rather than sectoral emissions-control regime, the Government said, noting that a sectoral regime would lead to a lack of competitiveness in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean.

The ministers agreed on the importance of closely monitoring these developments and maintaining continuous coordination between the countries in light of these discussions. 

In a joint declaration at the end of the meeting, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy affirmed their common values and objectives in working towards maritime transport that is safe, secure, competitive and better safeguards the environment. The Ministers also reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation, international cooperation and the protection of seafarers’ safety.

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