Clavijo fights for exemption from emission fees
Ribera commits to studying a post‑2023 exemption for the Canary Islands
The Executive Vice‑President of the European Commission for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, pledged on Wednesday to examine the continuation—beyond 2030—of the exemption from emission fees for the Canary Islands’ air and maritime routes.
She made this commitment after Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands government, expressed his concern over the energy crisis and its impact on the archipelago, especially the rising cost of passenger and freight transport.
During their meeting in Brussels, Ribera told the regional leader that no decision has yet been made on the adjustments to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) that has been in force since 1 January 2024. She explained that the measures are still under evaluation and that the European Executive will present its final proposal in July, according to a note from the Canary Islands government.
Maintaining the ETS Exemption for the Outermost Regions
Clavijo argued that there are strong reasons to keep the ETS exemption for the Canary Islands and other outermost regions, given their total reliance on air and sea connectivity.
“Under the RUP status set out in Article 349 of the Treaty, it is logical that inter‑island and island‑to‑mainland routes remain exempt from emission charges,” Ribera added, placing the request within the Commission’s ongoing listening process.
Clavijo also warned of competitive distortions caused by the ETS for Canary ports. While the archipelago’s routes to other EU countries must pay 100 % of their emissions, the EU applies only a 50 % charge to connections with third countries. This disparity is prompting shipping companies to divert vessels to African ports.
Ribera welcomed the concern, noting that several other Member States are also calling for changes to prevent European ports from losing competitiveness to third‑country ports.
Joining the French‑Portuguese Offensive
To strengthen the Canary Islands’ case, Clavijo will ask the Spanish government to join the initiative launched by France and Portugal to protect the ETS exemption for outermost regions. He stresses that the three RUP‑holding states must defend the exemption together and decisively beyond 2030.
He has already handed Ribera a report commissioned by the Canary Islands government that details the negative impact that applying the ETS to the archipelago’s air and sea connections would have. The report was also presented in a prior meeting with Miguel García, a member of the cabinet of European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra.
Both meetings were attended by the Vice‑President of the Presidency’s Cabinet, Octavio Caraballo, the Director‑General of European Affairs, Celia Albertos, and the Brussels delegate, Cristina Domínguez.
These discussions complement a meeting held on Tuesday with the European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who pledged his support for the position of the Canary Islands and all outermost regions regarding the ETS exemption. The region also counts Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice‑President for Cohesion and Reforms, as an ally; he is preparing a new EU strategy for the nine outermost regions and plans to visit the archipelago in September.
Measures in Response to the Energy Crisis
The conversation with Ribera also covered the new Multi‑annual Financial Framework the European Commission presented in June, which remains under debate.
Clavijo conveyed the Canary Islands’ firm opposition to the elimination of the dedicated fund pool for outermost regions—a move he says contradicts EU cohesion policy and the rights of these territories.
Energy‑related issues were also on the agenda. Clavijo expressed concern over the sharp rise in fuel costs caused by the conflict in Iran and asked Brussels to activate concrete actions for the outermost regions within the AccelerateEU emergency plan unveiled last week. This plan includes measures to:
- Reduce dependence on fossil fuels
- Protect households and industry
- Accelerate the transition to clean energy
He urged Ribera to adapt these tools to the archipelago’s specific circumstances, in line with Article 349 of the Treaty, which guarantees a special treatment for outermost regions.
Clavijo also discussed the possibility of extending the deadline for using Next Generation EU funds so that the Canary Islands can complete their Sustainable Energy Plan. Although the Spanish government has already raised this request with Brussels, the team led by Ursula von der Leyen has flatly rejected it. If the current deadline stands and the extension is denied, millions of euros worth of projects essential for the archipelago’s decarbonisation could be jeopardised.
To avoid this outcome, Clavijo asked Teresa Ribera to accept the alternative pathways the Spanish state has proposed to ensure the projects’ development.