Interferry warns of competitive imbalance over EU emissions rules
Interferry has raised concerns over the possibility of further delays to the European Union’s Emissions Trading System for road transport, warning that unequal carbon pricing could place additional competitive pressure on European ferry operators.
The international ferry industry association argues that RoRo and ro-pax services already face substantial costs under the maritime EU ETS, while competing road transport services are not yet subject to the corresponding ETS2 framework.
According to Interferry, this difference in regulatory treatment risks shifting freight away from maritime routes towards road transport and could make investment in cleaner ferry operations more difficult.
Ferry operators face rising emissions costs
Commercial passenger and cargo vessels of 5,000 gross tonnes and above calling at European ports have been covered by the maritime EU ETS since 2024.
Interferry estimates that compliance costs currently amount to approximately €250 per tonne of diesel fuel, with the annual burden on European RoRo and ro-pax operators reaching around €1 billion.
The association argues that ferry services compete directly with road freight on several European transport corridors, making differences in carbon-related costs particularly significant.
It also maintains that operators cannot always pass these additional costs on to customers without affecting their competitiveness.
Association calls for equal treatment across transport modes
Interferry is concerned that further postponement of ETS2 could extend the period during which road transport and ferry services operate under different carbon pricing arrangements.
The association has called on European policymakers to consider separating road transport from the buildings sector within the ETS2 framework or applying carbon costs more consistently across competing transport modes.
Johan Roos, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Interferry, said the decarbonisation burden should not fall unevenly on individual transport sectors.
Interferry has also urged the EU to direct revenues collected from maritime ETS compliance back into shipping decarbonisation, including sustainable marine fuels, cleaner technologies and shore-side charging infrastructure.
The association’s intervention comes as European policymakers consider the implementation of emissions trading requirements across different sectors.
Any additional postponement of ETS2 remains a possibility raised by Interferry rather than a confirmed new regulatory decision.
