In the ongoing quest to promote more sustainable transport practices aligned with digitalisation, the Maritime Eco-Incentive emerges as a valuable tool in Component 6 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). This ambitious project has an initial budget of €60 million from NextGenerationEU funds and has as its main task to promote international maritime freight transport as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional road transport.
Clear and ambitious objectives
The programme has a number of clearly defined objectives ranging from reducing emissions and decongesting roads to improving road safety and working conditions for workers in the sector. In addition, it seeks to encourage shipping companies operating eligible services to improve their environmental performance.
This Eco-Incentive is aligned with the Safe, Sustainable and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030, with two fundamental goals:
1.Consolidate and increase the modal share of maritime freight transport, focusing on environmental efficiency.
2.Promote the transition from road to maritime transport with objective sustainability criteria.
A revealing example of the positive impact of maritime transport is the calculation of the savings generated, where the transport of goods by ship is compared to road transport. According to the European Commission’s Handbook on External Costs of Transport, road transport generates significantly higher external costs, which makes maritime transport a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly option.
Who is eligible for support?
The aid is aimed at a wide range of beneficiaries, including hauliers, shippers and transport operators, both companies and the self-employed. The key here is that the choice to use maritime transport instead of road transport is rewarded, regardless of company size or turnover.
The Eco-Incentive is designed specifically for each eligible maritime service, giving users the right to apply for each journey they make during the designated period. Eligible costs refer to the reduction of external costs within the national territory when opting for maritime transport, meaning that savings generated in Spain translate into direct incentives for carriers.
Three call opportunities
The Maritime Eco-Incentive has an initial budget of €60 million divided into three calls, each with an initial budget of €20 million.
- The first call allows applications to be submitted until 30 June 2023, covering traffic between 20 September 2022 and 31 March 2023.
- The second call covers international maritime routes between 29 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, with applications accepted from 1 April to 30 June 2024.
- The third call, for the year 2025, foresees an application deadline in the second quarter of the year to cover grants for 2024
Routes that boost sustainability
Potential beneficiaries must use eligible routes operated by the programme’s shipping partners. In the first call, entities such as Brittany Ferries, Suardiaz Atlántica, Flota Suardiaz, CLdN RoRo, Grimaldi Euromed SpA and Finnlines Oyj, with services from Spanish ports to various destinations in the European Union, were selected.
In the second call, these same shipping lines offer routes from the above ports to destinations in Italy, Ireland, Belgium and France.
Decarbonising transport with 800 million euros
The Maritime Eco-Incentive is just one piece of the Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Programme under Component 6 of the PRTR, which allocates €800 million to improve operability, boost efficiency and promote cleaner modes of freight transport by embracing available digital technologies. This is a crucial step towards a greener and more connected future in freight transport.
In short, the PRTR Maritime Eco-Incentive opens a promising path towards more sustainable and efficient freight transport, benefiting a wide range of actors in the industry and contributing to the decarbonisation of the sector. With multiple calls and eligible routes, it represents a unique opportunity to drive the transition to a greener future in freight transport.
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