The EU Council’s decision to entrust the IMO with the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from international shipping is a vote of confidence in the international organisation’s ability to deliver, said Patrick Verhoeven, ECSA Secretary General following the adoption of the EU Member States’ negotiating position at the UNFCCC in Paris (COP 21).

“ The IMO has already delivered important results and is making great efforts, which should, in our opinion, be encouraged, not undermined. Its work guarantees both global coverage and a level playing field, without which, efforts to reduce GHG emissions from ships would be counterproductive. Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI and the adoption of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) make international shipping the only industrial sector already covered by mandatory and binding global measures,” Verhoeven said.