The European Dredging Association (EUDA) and seven shipowner and offshore industry associations have called on European policymakers to revise emissions reporting rules before offshore vessels of 5,000 GT and above enter the controversial EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) in 2027.
The joint statement, addressed to the European Parliament and the Council, was also signed by KVNR, the Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV), Armateurs de France, the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, Svensk Sjöfart, Danish Shipping and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).
The associations said the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system was designed mainly for vessels transporting goods or people from one port to another.
Offshore vessels instead spend extended periods on installation, maintenance, dredging and inspection work at sea.
The group is seeking an activity-based system that would charge identical offshore operations the same CO2 costs, whatever port a vessel operates from. They warned that the current rules could encourage operators to mobilise vessels from non-EU ports.
The associations also want clear definitions for offshore work, work sites and ports of call, including seabed-related work. They are asking for reporting based on cargo, passenger and transport-work measures to be replaced by aggregated reporting.
They asked that ETS surrender obligations for offshore vessels begin only after a revised MRV framework has proved reliable. "This is a sequencing request, not an exemption from carbon pricing!" the statement said.
Offshore ships of 400 GT and above have been subject to MRV since January 1, 2025. Cargo and passenger ships of 5,000 GT and above entered the ETS in 2024. Port tugs were earlier exempted from the offshore-vessel monitoring requirements.