Four European Union member states have agreed to coordinate their positions on measures to cut shipping emissions, focusing on both the EU’s existing trading scheme and the International Maritime organisation’s planned Net-Zero Framework.
Ministers from Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy met in Limassol and set out a common approach to upcoming negotiations, according to a report published by reports on 13 September 2026. The discussions addressed the EU Emissions Trading System and the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework.
Focus on the EU Emissions Trading System
The officials discussed how the EU Emissions Trading System, as an existing regional mechanism, should interact with broader international arrangements. The four governments agreed to coordinate their positions on the EU ETS to present a unified stance in further debates.
Coordination aims to ensure that national approaches take account of the ETS’s current scope and mechanics, particularly as the shipping sector adapts to carbon-pricing measures introduced at regional level.
Engagement with the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework
Participants also examined the IMO’s planned Net-Zero Framework and pledged to align their negotiating positions. The ministers emphasised the need for measures that are realistic and globally applicable.
Their discussions recognised the IMO instrument’s role in setting international standards for maritime decarbonisation and sought a common posture on how EU policy should relate to the emerging international framework.
The four states, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy, made their positions explicit at a ministerial meeting in Limassol. The meeting was reported on 13 September 2026, which provided the primary account of the agreement.
By co-ordinating positions, the quartet aims to address both regional and international regulatory strands at the same time. They sought to present a coherent approach in subsequent negotiations at EU institutions and at the IMO, reflecting concerns about regulatory coherence across jurisdictions.
The ministers’ emphasis on realism and global applicability reflects an intent to reconcile the EU’s existing instruments with international rules that apply to ships on voyages outside EU waters. The four states indicated that their joint approach would cover technical and policy aspects of both the EU ETS and the IMO framework.
The move underlines continued engagement by EU coastal states in shaping the regulatory landscape for maritime decarbonisation. By preparing a coordinated position, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy signal an interest in influencing how regional carbon-pricing and international targets will operate together as the shipping sector transitions.
reports’s report on 13 September 2026 is the published source for the details of the Limassol meeting and the substance of the four countries’ agreement.