The European Commission is reportedly considering taking legal action against Greece and Cyprus for abstaining, last Friday, from voting on postponing the extraordinary meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the body responsible for adopting the Net Zero Framework (NZF), the new regulatory framework that, for the first time ever, sets a global carbon tax for the shipping industry.
According to Lloyd’s List that announced the news, the two countries are guilty of violating the procedure whereby the 27 European nations vote together as one at the IMO.
As is well known, over the past few weeks, the United States and Saudi Arabia, with the support of Singapore and other countries, had gone all out to dismantle the NZF, initially by attempting to prevent its adoption through threats and subsequently by requesting a change in procedural rules (with a shift from tacit to explicit acceptance regarding the adoption of amendments to international conventions).
The IMO meeting effectively ended with the decision to postpone the vote on the adoption of NZF for one year. Fifty-seven countries voted in favor of the postponement motion put forward by Saudi Arabia, while 49 voted against it.
According to the London-based newspaper, the Commission is waiting for an opinion from its legal service before assessing the various options on the tabl. If it fails to initiate infringement proceedings, it may also consider other forms of retaliation against the two countries.
Translation by Giles Foster
