MarLEN — the Maritime Low Emission Network — is pleased to announce the publication of its first Policy Brief, summarising findings from the first two Mobilisation & Mutual Learning (MML) Workshops on Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) and Short Sea Shipping (SSS).
This Policy Brief presents stakeholder inputs gathered through co-creation sessions — including operators, port authorities, logistics providers, researchers, industry and civil society across multiple European countries. It examines the transition to zero-emission waterborne transport across four dimensions: Political/Regulatory, Economic/Financial, Social/Skills and Technological/Infrastructural.
Highlights
- Strategic context: situates MarLEN within the ZEWT Partnership and explains the need for coordinated action to meet EU climate targets (55% emissions reduction by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050).
- Main findings: regulatory alignment and reduced fragmentation; simpler and more accessible funding (especially for SMEs); targeted training and reskilling to address skills gaps; and stronger coordination between EET deployment and port infrastructure, with digital solutions highlighted as enablers.
- Practical recommendations: short-term policy actions and support mechanisms to accelerate uptake of low and zero-emission technologies and avoid long-term lockin.
Next Steps
This Policy Brief is the first in a phased series. A second brief, integrating outcomes from the third and fourth MML Workshops, will be published in December 2027. A final brief, due in June 2029, will consolidate findings from all six workshops and deliver a coherent set of policy recommendations for governments, regulators, funders and innovators.
Read the full Policy Brief : link!
