From left to right, port dockers in the Canary Islands, Pedro Cazón and Maximiliano Díaz, branch manager of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), Carmen Moreno Ojeda, Director of the Delegation, Pilar Ruiz Huélamo, President of the Chamber of Gran Canaria, Luis Padrón, Commercial Director – Head of Charter of the Grupo Armas Mediterránea, Jaime Jesús Cabrera del Pino, Deputy Director of the Delegation, Keka Torres-de Paz
Brussels, 07/11/2023.- On Tuesday 7 November, the Delegation to the EU became the meeting place to address the implications of the latest European regulations on the inclusion of maritime transport in the greenhouse gas rights trade. He was attended by the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria, together with representatives of the Association of Signatories and Stibadors of Ships of Las Palmas (Asocelpa) and the shipping companies Armas Transmediterránea and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), who presented the effects of the entry into force of the latest amendments to Directive 2003/87/EC for the Canary Islands.
This Directive, which enters into force on 1 January 2024, establishes a regulatory framework for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
During the meeting, Luis Padrón, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria, stressed the impact that the amendment of this Directive will have on companies in the region and its consequences on the local economy. He also pointed out the need to identify the actions to leave the Carbon Emissions System to maritime transport in the Canary Islands due to its status as an Outermost Region, as recognised by the European Commission for air transport.
Pilar Ruiz Huélamo, Head of the Delegation to the EU, expressed his commitment to collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria and other business entities to address the challenges that arise from this new regulation and find solutions that benefit both the business sector, as well as meeting the ambitious zero emissions target by 2050 of the European Green Deal.
This meeting is part of an open dialogue between the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders in ensuring an effective transition to a more sustainable economy for the Gran Canaria Islands.