Posted on May 4, 2021
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution that paves the way for zero-emission waterborne transport.
On 27 April, the European Parliament’s Plenary session adopted a resolution on “technical and operational measures for more efficient and cleaner maritime transport”, to achieve a climate-neutral transition of the waterborne transport sector by 2050, as aimed at by the European Green Deal.
“This resolution underlines the economic and strategic importance of waterborne transport for the EU and acknowledges the waterborne sector as key factor in the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the EU,” said SEA Europe, which represents the European shipbuilding sector.
What’s in the resolution?
The European Parliament’s resolution sets out a number of important steps including a call on the European Commission to introduce measures, accompanied with the necessary funding, to enable European shipyards to make additional investments into sustainable, social and digitalised shipbuilding and the ship repair industry.
The resolution steps also include a call on the European Commission to make projects aimed at decarbonising maritime transport and reducing polluting emissions eligible under the cohesion policy and through the European Structural and Investment Funds, the CEF and the Green Deal and to make funds and incentives available to support the maritime sector in the transition towards a zero-carbon economy; and a call on the European Investment Bank to provide both pre-delivery and post-delivery financing for shipbuilders, which would considerably enhance the implementation and the viability of projects.
Christophe Tytgat, SEA Europe’s Secretary General, noted that the Euopean Parliament “has fully recognised the strategic importance as well as key enabling role of Europe’s shipyards and maritime equipment industry in the transition of waterborne transport to a climate neutral and digitalised mode of transport” as well as “acknowledged that the maritime technology sector in Europe experiences several challenges”.
