EURACTIV — 2025-10-24
News from Brussels
The European Commission signalled on Wednesday that it is open to renegotiate the global net-zero shipping deal after the United States blocked it last week at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
An April agreement to cut CO2 emissions from shipping collapsed following pressure from Washington and Riyadh – which pushed through a one-year freeze to eventually axe it.
The US warned it could sanction countries voting in favour, arguing the plan would benefit China at its expense.
All EU countries except Greece and Cyprus opposed the delay, but their defection broke the bloc’s unity. The future of the deal – aimed at removing the dirtiest ships from the seas by mid-2030 – now hangs in the balance.
Asked by Euractiv whether the Commission supports Washington’s call for renegotiation, an EU spokesperson said: “We are ready to work towards building bridges with all other parties.”
Yet, the same official admitted, a new Council mandate “may potentially be needed.”
Because shipping decisions require unanimity, Athens’ resistance threatens to derail future coordination. “There will be time for changes to be made and to find common ground,” a senior EU diplomat said earlier this week.
Tensions first flared on Tuesday, when Greece held the COP30 mandate “hostage” to remove references to the IMO.
“The Commission is looking into the position taken by certain EU Member States during the voting process last week,” the spokesperson added.
According to an EU source, defecting from the bloc’s pre-agreed voting position may not have been illegal, but it was a “political disaster”.
Whether the Commission had issued an explicit instruction on the US proposal remains unclear.