Tugboats in operation in European ports will now be exempt from rules about pollution and fuel consumption aimed at large cargo vessels after a Labour MEP raised the issue with the European Commission. 

Daniel Attard previously wrote to the Commission saying that tugboat operators should be exempt from the EU's maritime emissions monitoring regulations. 

Many of these operators are small to medium enterprises and Attard argued that they should not be subject to unnecessary administrative burdens. 

In a press release on Friday, Attard said that these regulations had been successfully amended after he worked closely with local and European stakeholders to address the concerns brought up by the maritime industry. 

Anna Maria Darmanin, Secretary-General of the European Tugowners’ Association, said that the original proposals placed tugboats - which typically operate in ports - in the same category as large offshore vessels working in international waters.

“This misclassification would have imposed disproportionate administrative and financial burdens on companies, particularly those operating in Malta,” she said.

Darmanin also praised Attard’s swift response to the issue.

“Daniel listened to the concerns of maritime stakeholders, acted quickly by writing to and meeting with the European Commission, and brought much-needed visibility to this topic. Thanks to such coordinated efforts, tugboats are now excluded from these regulations,” she added.

Attard said that the updated regulations reflected common sense and fairness, as well as a commitment to safeguard the competitiveness of Malta's maritime sector. 

“This is a clear example of my commitment to defending Malta’s national interest at the European level and delivering results through concrete action,” he said.