The European Commission published a detailed impact assessment report this summer that redefines the regulatory framework for the **EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)** in maritime transport, directly positioning **Gran Canaria and the port connections of France’s Caribbean outermost regions** as the benchmark for assessing the effectiveness and territorial safeguards of the new EU directives. The official European Commission document was drawn up by **Martine Deprez**, in her capacity as the Commission’s Director and Secretary-General, according to the summer 2026 forwarding note.
The report and its impact assessment annexes were formally addressed to **Thérèse Blanchet, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union**. The official document, validated in July 2026 under legislative files 2026/0212(COD), 2026/0211(COD) and 2026/0210(COD), rigorously examines from a financial and technical perspective how **carbon pricing and the drive to decarbonise** will affect shipping routes, ferry traffic and the island logistics chain without destabilising their economic competitiveness or undermining the flow of supplies and goods.
Brussels’ analysis specifically examines the impact on **operating costs resulting from extending the emissions system to smaller vessels**, a critical factor for island economies and outermost regions where maritime links serve as vital arteries. The report notes that around **58% of ferries calling at European ports have a gross tonnage of between 400 and 5,000 tonnes**, exposing a large proportion of regular maritime transport services to cost pressures from the purchase of emission allowances.
However, the study highlights that the **European regulatory framework includes essential safeguards to protect strategic locations**. In the specific case of the **Port of Las Palmas**, a major international logistics hub alongside Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Brussels stresses that **public service obligations (PSO/PSC)** and specific exemptions for outermost regions and small islands directly mitigate the risks of destabilisation.
Although the removal of certain exemptions could pose challenges for fleets operating under special navigation conditions, the EU framework guarantees that **port traffic stability and essential maritime connectivity remain protected** from volatility in fuel and carbon prices, preventing adverse effects on user fares and preserving the strategic role of the Gran Canaria port in the mid-Atlantic.
The article Brussels Sets Port of Las Palmas as Benchmark Price in New Emissions Directive was first published on canarymaritime.com.
