Regulation
Interferry says a further ETS2 delay for road transport would disadvantage ferries
Interferry said on 20 October 2026 that pressure for a further delay to the EU ETS2 framework for road transport would leave ferries at a competitive disadvantage. It said ETS2 has already been postponed from 2027 to 2028, and that the annual cost for European ro-pax and ro-ro ferry operators is estimated at approximately EUR 1 billion.
Source: Interferry (opens in a new tab)
In a press release dated 20 October 2026, Interferry said it is raising serious concerns over EU Emissions Trading System negotiations and a regulatory imbalance it says penalises maritime transport. As member states push to further delay the EU ETS2 framework for road transport, ferry operators face an ongoing competitive disadvantage against a higher-emitting mode of transport.
Since 2024, commercial passenger and cargo ships of 5,000 GT and above calling at European ports have been subject to the EU ETS, with compliance costs currently equivalent to approximately EUR 250 per tonne of diesel fuel. For European ro-pax and ro-ro ferry operators, the annual cost is estimated at approximately EUR 1 billion. Interferry said road freight continues to benefit from delays to its dedicated EU ETS2 framework. Already postponed from 2027 to 2028, ETS2 is facing renewed pressure from several EU member states for further delays. The association said this possibility results from grouping road transport in the same regulatory category as the building sector, so that concerns over winter heating costs are shielding road freight from emissions trading.
Johan Roos, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Interferry, said: “The ETS review addresses many valid points, particularly the use of funds collected for the decarbonization of shipping. However, allowing residential heating concerns to grant an unearned commercial advantage to road freight transport over ferry shipping is unacceptable.” He said: “The burdens and challenges of decarbonization cannot be borne by individual sectors alone, and all transport sectors must be treated equally. To restore fairness, EU policymakers must make the scope of ETS2 more granular by separating road transport from building emissions to ensure fair competition or, alternatively, apply carbon costs uniformly across all sectors. Anything less simply cements the existing unfair competitive disadvantage, offering no benefit to the climate or the environment.”
Interferry said all revenues collected from maritime ETS compliance must be strictly ring-fenced and reinvested into decarbonising the maritime sector, through EU-produced sustainable marine fuels, clean technologies, and onshore charging infrastructure.