Which ships are covered by the EU ETS?
The EU ETS applies to ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above that carry cargo or passengers for commercial purposes to and from ports in the EU and EEA.
Who is responsible for EU ETS obligations for ships, and what must they do?
First, the shipowner must notify Traficom of all ships that fall under the scope of the EU ETS. If the ISM company is responsible for EU ETS obligations, it must provide a ship-specific mandate obtained from the owner.
Greenhouse gas emissions from ships covered by the EU ETS must be monitored, reported and verified in line with Regulation (EU) 2015/757 (the MRV Regulation). Responsibility for compliance lies either with the shipowner or, if mandated by the shipowner, the ISM company. The company must submit a verified Monitoring Plan (MP) to Traficom for approval and report verified emissions at both ship level and company level through the THETIS-MRV system. In addition, the company must report its company-level verified emissions to the Union Registry each year by 31 March and surrender emission allowances corresponding to the verified emissions in the Union Registry each year by 30 September.
Why must a verifier apply for national approval in Finland?
Under the Finnish Emissions Trading Act (1270/2023), Section 80, a verifier is required to hold an approval issued by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency.
How can I open a Maritime Operator Holding Account (MOHA account) in Finland?
A MOHA account is required to meet the obligations under the EU Emissions Trading System. This includes reporting verified emissions annually by 31 March and surrendering allowances annually by 30 September. In Finland, the Energy Authority serves as the national administrator of the EU Emissions Trading Registry. For more information, please visit the Energy Authority’s website.
Change of shipowner
What if the shipowner of a vessel covered by the EU ETS changes?
If the shipowner changes, the shipowner (or an authorised ISM company) must without delay notify Traficom by sending an updated list of ships to kirjaamo@traficom.fi and ETS-maritime@traficom.fi.
The obligation to notify Traficom and maintain an up-to-date list of ships rests with the shipowner, or with an authorised ISM company acting on their behalf.