On the Process of Including Shipping in EU Emissions Trading: Multi-Level Reinforcement Revisited

As part of the EU Green Deal initiative in 2019, Commission decided to develop a proposal include emissions from shipping trading system. This occurred only one year after had heralded reduction agreement negotiated International Maritime Organization (IMO) as significant step forward—thereby signalling support for IMO process. We apply multi-level reinforcement perspective explain this apparent policy volte-face, resulting July 2021 which is now moving through institutions EU. Such notes “friendly” competition leadership among central actors at various levels EU—particularly Commission, European Parliament, and leading member states. find, first, that inclusion line with broadening ambitions since start Second, until Parliament carried regulatory torch. A turning point policymaking process was issue Ursula von der Leyen’s programme getting accepted by elected leader 2019. From then on, again took lead. Third, despite 2018 agreement, progress there deemed slow, further motivated policymakers act unilaterally.