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Monitoring Maritime Emissions

Last update 16/01/2024

Shipping companies are obliged to monitor their emissions as of 01/01/2018 in accordance with the MRV Maritime Transport Regulation. We are the competent authority for the national enforcement and punish infringements by shipping companies which have not submitted or are late in submitting an emissions report for their vessels covered by the Regulation.

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Maritime transport

The European Union adopted the MRV Maritime Transport Regulation which entered into force on 01/07/2015. An amendment to TEHG regulated the implementation of sanctioning regulations and national responsibilities at the national level. We are responsible for the tasks related to monitoring German-flagged ships and we are also a penalising authority for the national enforcement of the MRV Maritime Transport Regulation for German- and foreign-flagged ships.

Legal bases

Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29/04/2015 (Status 01/01/2024)

To the topic: Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29/04/2015 (Status 01/01/2024) Consolidated version of the Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 concerning the monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport and Amending Directive 2009/16/EC.

Regulation (EU) 2023/957 amending the MRV Maritime Regulation EU 2015/757 of 10/05/2023

To the topic: Regulation (EU) 2023/957 amending the MRV Maritime Regulation EU 2015/757 of 10/05/2023 Regulation (EU) 2023/957 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10/05/2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2015/757 in order to provide for the inclusion of maritime transport activities in the EU Emissions Trading System and for the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions of additional greenhouse gases and emissions from additional ship types.

TEHG vom 18.07.2017

To the topic: TEHG vom 18.07.2017 Treibhausgas-Emissionshandelsgesetz - TEHG vom 18.07.2017. Ein Service des Bundesministeriums der Justiz in Zusammenarbeit mit der juris GmbH.

MRV Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 in maritime transport

To the topic: MRV Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 in maritime transport Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29.04.2015 on monitoring, reporting and verifying carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport and amending Directive 2009/16/EC

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/2071 amending Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the methods for monitoring carbon dioxide emissions and the rules for monitoring other relevant information

To the topic: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/2071 amending Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the methods for monitoring carbon dioxide emissions and the rules for monitoring other relevant information (22/09/2016, PDF, 293KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/2072 on the verification activities and accreditation of verifiers pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757

To the topic: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/2072 on the verification activities and accreditation of verifiers pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757 (22/09/2016, PDF, 496KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1927 on templates for monitoring plans, emissions reports and documents of compliance pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757

To the topic: Implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1927 on templates for monitoring plans, emissions reports and documents of compliance pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757 (04/11/2016, PDF, 395KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1928 on determination of cargo carried for categories of ships other than passenger, ro-ro and container ships pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757

To the topic: Implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1928 on determination of cargo carried for categories of ships other than passenger, ro-ro and container ships pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757 (04/11/2016, PDF, 318KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Tasks and obligations for shipping companies, verifiers and authorities

Further informationen

The MRV Maritime Transport Regulation stipulates the following tasks and obligations for shipping companies, verifiers and authorities.

Tasks 1 to 5 are entirely in the hands of shipping companies and verifiers. The examination by the competent authorities of violations of the reporting requirements (6a and 7a) pursuant to Article 19 of the MRV Regulation is exclusively directed at the verification of the existence of a verified emission report. A substantive review of the emissions report by the competent authorities does not take place.

Tasks and obligations

  1. Verification

    By 31/08/2017, shipping companies were required to present a monitoring plan for each of their ships (size over 5000 GT/gross tonnage, for trips from or to a port within the scope of the MRV regulation, including lay times) to an accredited, non-state verifier.

  2. Preparing the emissions report

    The shipping companies are obliged to monitor the parameters according to the verified monitoring plan as of 01/01/2018.

  3. Issuing the Document of Compliance

    The ship-related emissions report is required after the end of the reporting period for verification by a verifier who will issue a Document of Compliance for the ship in the event of a positive result.

  4. Submitting the emissions report

    The shipping company shall submit the emissions report annually by 30/04/ (starting in 2019) to the EU Commission and the authorities of the relevant flag states.

  5. Carrying the Document of Compliance on board

    The shipping companies must ensure that the valid Document of Compliance for the reporting period is carried on board from 30/06/ of the following year.

  6. Sanctions for breach of reporting obligation

    From 30/04/, the authorities of the flag states concerned shall examine whether the verified emissions report has been received in due time (6.a) and take the necessary measures to initiate a sanction (6b) if required.

  7. Sanctions for breach of reporting obligation

    If, in the case of a port state control (starting on 30/06/2019), foreign-flagged vessels without a valid document of compliance are detected (7.a), the necessary measures for initiating sanctions must also be taken (7b).

  8. Graphic display

German- and foreign-flagged ships

Übersicht: German-flaggged ships

Within the framework of the flag state control, we check the timely submission of the verified emission reports for ships flying the German flag. In the case of infringements, we shall initiate a penalty procedure against the shipping companies.

Übersicht: Foreign-flagged ships

Under the framework of the port state control, we shall initiate a penalty procedure against shipping companies of ships flying a foreign flag provided that the port state authority has established that the vessels concerned did not have a Document of Compliance on board and that the emissions report has not been submitted.

Further information

Further information from the European Commission and the European Maritime Safety Agency

Thetis-MRV Video Tutorials der EMSA (in Englisch)

FAQs der Europäischen Kommission

Wave in the sea
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