MRV PROGRAM

EU MRV - Monitoring Plan and Verification

Regulation (EU) 2015/757 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/957 is the base regulation for Monitoring, Reporting and Verifying ship’s emissions:

• Monitoring: Companies must implement a Monitoring Plan to monitor their GHG emissions per voyage for CO₂, methane and nitrous oxide.
• Reporting: Companies must prepare an annual emissions report to the European Commission.
• Verification: Accredited verifiers must assess the monitoring plan and verify the emissions report annually
• Companies must submit the assessed monitoring plan and verified emission report to the European Commission

Commercial cargo and passenger vessels from 5000 GT or above need to report their CO₂ emissions from January 2018 onwards. As of January 2024, emissions of methane and nitrous oxide are included. General cargo ships and offshore vessels from 400 GT until 5000 are included in the EU MRV regulation from January 2025 onwards. Companies monitor emissions through at least 2 out of 4 means:

• bunker delivery notes
• tank sounding
• flowmeters or
• direct emission monitoring.

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) hosts the Thetis website as main portal to connect the shipping companies, verifiers and administrations. Companies should submit their GHG data through Thetis to their respective Administration.

EU ETS - Emissions Trading System

Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 established a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the EU (EU ETS). As of January 2025, commercial cargo and passenger ships of 5000 GT and above are included in the EU ETS and need to surrender a number of EU Allowances (EUA’s) equivalent to their CO2 emissions in metric tons within the scope of EU ETS.

Companies must prepare an emissions report on company level aggregating the emissions of their fleet. EUA’s are publicly traded and companies need to create Maritime Operator Holding Account (MOHA) to be able to buy, trade and surrender EUA’s. CUC Germany verifies whether the vessel falls within the scope and the company calculated the emissions and amount of EUA’s correctly for the reporting period.

The verification process

Under ISO 14065, we deliver verification engagements in the following steps:

1. determine scope and formulation of the offer after receipt of the application form by the customer
2. monitoring plan and emissions report verification: strategic and risk analysis, fleet list, fuel consumption, voyage data, data collection and examination of calculation methodologies
3. verification activities: physical or virtual site visits and verification of data acquisition
4. reporting: preparation of the validation/verification report and the draft opinion
5. independent review of the validation/verification activities carried out and finalization of the reporting phase.
6. issue the Document of Compliance