EU MRV and EU ETS in the Offshore Sector: The Need for Legal Certainty

by Celine Audenaerdt

The EU offshore sector is considered a cornerstone of the EU’s ambitious energy and climate strategy, to ensure Europe’s competitiveness and security of energy supply. Under Europe’s climate framework, the offshore sector has been subject to the EU MRV since 2025 and will fall under the EU ETS from 2027. However, applying rules originally designed for commercial shipping to offshore operations presents significant legal and practical challenges. In addition, the introduction of EU ETS obligations is expected to impose substantial financial burdens on offshore operators and distorts competition.

Exclusively for ETL, Celine Audenaerdt, Head of Environmental Affairs at the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association, discusses the issues at stake. Celine Audenaerdt’s article appears in ETL issue no. 2 of 2026.