Lower costs for transporting goods to Malta mean more money in the pockets of families and businesses

The need to reduce the burdens arising from the EU ETS on shipping goods to Malta, to ease pressure on prices for families and strengthen business competitiveness, was the central focus of a visit by the Leader of the Opposition and of the Partit Nazzjonalista Alex Borg to Sullivan Maritime, representatives of Grimaldi Group in Malta, and Valletta Gateway Terminals.

Also present for the visit were PN MEP Peter Agius, Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility Ivan Castillo and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and the Regeneration of the Grand Harbour Julie Zahra.

During the visit, discussions focused on the impact of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System, the ETS, on maritime transport costs and how these can negatively affect the prices of products and raw materials imported into Malta.

Alex Borg stressed that the cost of living remains a priority for the Partit Nazzjonalista. Freight transport costs affect both families in their everyday shopping and businesses that import, produce and export. Malta’s connectivity must therefore be an integral part of the discussion on prices and competitiveness.

Malta depends on maritime transport for its supply of goods, with no road or rail connection to mainland Europe. This reality must be taken into account in European decision-making to ensure that our country is not placed at a disadvantage because of its geographical position.

In this context, discussions addressed the proposal put forward by PN MEP Peter Agius for a temporary 50% reduction in the ETS obligations applicable to air and sea transport to and from islands, with the derogation to be phased out by 2040 or once a global Net-Zero Framework is put in place by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This proposal, which has not yet been approved, aims to reduce the burden on island connectivity while continuing to encourage investment in cleaner transport.

The Partit Nazzjonalista emphasised that any cost reductions must be passed on to shipping companies and, ultimately, to consumers. Environmental protection and emissions reductions must go hand in hand with measures that take Malta’s specific needs into account. This measure should ease the burdens on shipping companies, alongside the announced subsidy for freight transported by catamaran.

During the visit, the PN Leader was able to observe some of the logistics operations and gain a better understanding of the challenges and solutions associated with this sector.

This visit forms part of the PN’s ongoing dialogue with the maritime sector, in preparation for the national conference it will organise on 4 December on connectivity, competitiveness, infrastructure and the environmental transition.

10.10.2026