First Act – Customs Duty Suspensions
The regulation modifies the EU’s customs duty system by introducing new suspensions and revising existing ones for agricultural and industrial products. The changes apply where EU production cannot meet market demand. The regulation includes:
- Complete elimination of customs duties for specific products with insufficient EU production
- Special partial duty suspensions for battery production components
- Updated product descriptions with corresponding CN codes and duty rates
- Implementation starting January 1, 2025
Second Act – Maritime Emissions Monitoring
The regulation expands the EU’s maritime emissions monitoring system by:
- Including 31 types of offshore vessels in emissions monitoring requirements
- Establishing new CO2 emission factors for renewable and low-carbon fuels
- Covering vessels above 5,000 gross tonnage during voyages to, from, and within EU ports
- Setting specific rules for Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin, Recycled Carbon Fuel, and synthetic low-carbon fuels
The sustainable fuels provisions take effect from January 1, 2024, while offshore ships monitoring begins January 1, 2025.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
Council Regulation (EU) 2024/3211 of 16 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/2278 suspending the Common Customs Tariff duties referred to in Article 56(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain agricultural and industrial products
Overview
The regulation modifies the EU’s customs duty suspension system for various agricultural and industrial products where EU production is insufficient to meet demand. It updates the list of products eligible for duty relief, introduces new suspensions, and revises existing ones to ensure adequate supply of essential goods in the EU market. The changes aim to support EU industries by reducing input costs while maintaining a balance with domestic production interests.
Structure and Changes
The regulation consists of amendments to Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2278, primarily focusing on the product list in its annex. Key structural elements include comprehensive product listings with CN codes, specific duty rates, and validity periods. The main changes involve introducing new duty suspensions, modifying existing product descriptions, establishing partial suspensions for battery-related items, and removing outdated suspensions.
Key Provisions
- Complete suspension of customs duties for newly added products where EU production is insufficient
- Special treatment for battery production components with partial duty suspensions
- Detailed product descriptions and classifications to ensure proper application
- Specific review dates for each suspension to ensure regular assessment of their necessity
- Mandatory review mechanism for battery-related products by the end of 2025
- Clear implementation timeline starting from January 1, 2025
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3214 of 16 October 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the rules for the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions from offshore ships and the zero-rating of sustainable fuels
This Regulation amends the EU rules for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport by including offshore ships and updating provisions for sustainable fuels. It extends monitoring requirements to a wide range of offshore vessels and establishes specific rules for zero-rating of sustainable fuels in maritime transport.The Regulation consists of two main amendments to Regulation (EU) 2015/757:
- Introduction of new Part AA in Annex I listing 31 types of offshore ships that must monitor their emissions during voyages to, from, and within EU ports
- Modification of Annex II regarding CO2 emission factors for renewable and low-carbon fuels to align with other ETS sectors
Key provisions include:
- Detailed classification of offshore vessels subject to monitoring, from anchor handling tug supply vessels to hopper dredgers
- Special rules for determining CO2 emission factors for Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO), Recycled Carbon Fuel (RCF), and synthetic low-carbon fuels
- Different implementation dates: January 1, 2024 for sustainable fuels provisions and January 1, 2025 for offshore ships monitoring
- Application to ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above, with potential future extension to smaller vessels
