Search results for: 2026

The European Parliament, the Council and the EU Commission have signed a joint “One Europe, One Market Roadmap”, committing to a coordinated programme of work to strengthen the Single Market and Europe’s competitiveness by the end of 2027. The roadmap is presented as both a political and operational commitment, with the three institutions agreeing to work to set timelines, review progress quarterly and keep delivery under regular stocktaking.

The roadmap is structured around five building blocks: simplifying rules, a more integrated Single Market, stronger trade, lower energy prices with decarbonisation, and digital and AI transformation. For the boating sector, the list of priority deliverables is relevant because it includes several files already on EBI’s agenda, including  the Public Procurement Act, the European Products Act, the Circular Economy Act, the Skills Portability Initiative and the review of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation, each with target dates for agreement between 2026 and 2027.

The roadmap also includes wider trade and decarbonisation measures, such as ongoing trade agreement work, a proposal on supply chain dependencies, the ETS review, and new energy and digital initiatives. Taken together, it gives a clearer indication of the EU legislative timetable over the next two years and confirms that Single Market and competitiveness files will remain at the centre of the institutional agenda.

Recent EU trade agreements with Mercosur, Australia and India are expected to improve market access for Europe’s boating industry and support export opportunities for boatbuilders and equipment manufacturers.

With provisional application of the EU-Mercosur agreement confirmed from 1 May 2026, tariffs for recreational boats are set to be reduced gradually over a period of 10 to 15 years, while other products relevant to the sector, such as sails and lifejackets, will see tariff reductions over four years. Current tariffs for exports to Brazil can reach between 20% and 35% for parts of the boating industry.

The recent agreements with Australia and India also open new opportunities for the sector in key export markets. Taken together, these developments are an important step for an industry that relies strongly on exports and on reducing both tariff and non-tariff barriers to support competitiveness and diversification.

For a more detailed briefing, please contact the EBI Secretariat.

The Jordan–EU Investment Conference will take place at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea on 20–21 April 2026. The event is designed as a platform for European and Jordanian decision-makers, international financial institutions and businesses to discuss investment opportunities and build commercial links in Jordan.

The conference is structured around investment opportunities in high-value industries, energy, water, transport and logistics, and the digital economy. The organisers are also promoting B2B and G2B matchmaking, pre-arranged meetings with government entities and business leaders, and networking aimed at turning discussions into concrete business contacts.

The EU side is expected to be represented at high level. The conference website states that it will be attended by President Ursula von der Leyen, while the European Commission’s DG MENA website lists Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica in connection with the EU’s engagement in the region and includes the conference in its events calendar.

For members with an interest in trade, investment or regional partnerships in Jordan, this may be a useful opportunity to engage directly with counterparts in Jordan and explore the conference programme and registration details here. EBI can create a contact with the EU Commission.

The EU Commission has replied to a written question from MEP Pascal Arimont (EPP, Belgium) on whether it plans to introduce specific regulatory or fiscal measures targeting emissions linked to very carbon-intensive lifestyles, including private jets, yachts, multiple homes and frequent flying.

In its reply, the Commission states that “social and distributional aspects are addressed in EU climate policies” and that the polluter-pays principle is already reflected in existing EU instruments. It notes that private jets are already covered by the EU Emissions Trading System above certain thresholds, and that the ETS has applied to aviation since 2012.

On maritime transport, the Commission recalls that the EU ETS has applied since 2024 and includes yachts above 5,000 gross tonnage when emissions arise from voyages for commercial purposes. It adds that it will evaluate the climate impact of currently exempted small maritime and aviation operators and “may propose additional measures as appropriate”. The reply also notes that some Member States have voluntarily opted in emissions from leisure boats under ETS2.

The Commission further refers to the proposed revision of the Energy Taxation Directive, which would broaden the scope of energy taxation to additional sectors including aviation and maritime by removing existing exemptions. The proposal remains under discussion in the Council.

The EU Commission has presented its proposal for “EU Inc.”, a new optional EU-wide corporate legal framework intended to reduce fragmentation across national company law systems and make it easier for businesses to operate across the Single Market. The proposal is presented as the cornerstone of the broader 28th regime for EU companies.

The initiative is mainly aimed at improving conditions for startups and scaleups, while remaining open to any company that chooses to use it. According to the Commission, EU Inc. would allow faster and cheaper digital company creation, including registration within 48 hours, a maximum cost of EUR 100 when using the standard route, application of the once-only principle with other authorities, and no minimum share capital. The proposal also includes fully digital company law procedures, simpler share transfers, easier use of investment instruments and a common framework for employee stock options.

Alongside the legislative proposal, the EU Commission adopted a Communication on the wider 28th regime, setting out complementary measures on digitalisation, access to finance, taxation and talent.

The package also includes a Commission Recommendation introducing common definitions for innovative enterprises, innovative startups and innovative scaleups. The definitions are based on criteria such as R&D intensity, age, size and growth, with the aim of improving consistency across EU and national support measures and reducing differences in how such companies are treated across Member States.

The co-legislators, European Parliament and Council of the EU (Member States) will now analyse the proposal and provide amendments. The Commission states that it wants co-legislators to reach agreement on the proposal by the end of 2026.

The Council of the EU (Member States) and European Parliament reached an agreement to overhaul the EU customs framework, the most significant reform since 1968. The package aims to modernise customs tools to handle rising trade volumes, especially e-commerce, and enforce expanding EU standards at the border, while balancing stricter controls with reduced burdens on traders in a tougher geopolitical context. It is built on four pillars:

1. EU Customs Data Hub: a single EU platform for submitting customs data once, improving traceability and risk management; operational for e-commerce from 1 July 2028 and fully rolled out by 1 March 2034.
2. “Trust and check” simplifications: a new top-tier status for highly transparent traders, offering streamlined obligations and, for the most reliable, the possibility to release goods without active customs intervention, complementing existing AEO schemes.
3. Small-parcel measures: an EU-wide handling fee on low-value consignments sold via distance selling, set by delegated act and applies by 1 November 2026; platforms and sellers become the importer, with penalties for repeated non-compliance.
4. EU Customs Authority: a new decentralised agency, based in Lille, to manage the data hub, support risk management, define control priorities, and coordinate EU-level customs crisis responses, to be established once the regulation enters into force.

More information can be found here or contact the EBI Office.

The EU Commission has published the latest harmonised standards for the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD)

• EN ISO 8665-2:2024 Small craft – Power measurements and declarations-Part 2: Electric marine propulsion
• EN ISO 15085:2024 Small craft – Protection from falling overboard and means of reboarding

The official link to the can be found here.

A transitional period of 18 months applies from the date of citation in the Official Journal of the EU, during which both standards (new and previous) apply and provide presumption of conformity.

The full overview of harmonised standards can be found on the EU Commission's website.

European Boating Industry (EBI) applauds the recent EU free trade agreements announced with the Mercosur region, Australia and India. Opening new opportunities for Europe’s boating sector and reducing tariffs is critical for export-oriented boat builders and equipment manufacturers.

With provisional application of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) confirmed to start from 1 May 2026, the sector will see a gradual reduction of current high tariffs. For recreational boats, tariffs will gradually reduce over a period of 10 to 15 years while other products such as sails and lifejackets see reductions over 4 years. Current tariffs for exports to Brazil are as high as 20% to 35% for the boating industry.

EBI Secretary-General Philip Easthill said “Competitiveness and new market access are critical for the diversification and success of our sector long-term and critical components of EBI’s strategy. Our sector is strongly reliant on exports, and ‘Made in Europe’ is sought after globally. Removing tariff and non-tariff barriers remains critical to unlocking export opportunities and we call on swift ratification of the trade agreements to support business.”

In recent weeks, the EU Commission has also agreed trade agreements with Australia and India, providing significant opportunities that EBI will support its members on. Europe’s recreational boating industry is the largest exporter of recreational boats globally, as well as exhibiting a strong position across the entire supply chain.

EBI has joined the Active Tourism Coalition, a group of European associations representing cycling, walking, hiking and water-based activities, working jointly to contribute to the forthcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism.

The Coalition has published proposals calling for active tourism to be explicitly recognised in EU sustainable tourism policy, including inland and coastal boating and nautical tourism. For the recreational boating ecosystem, the proposals highlight the need to prioritise investment in the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028–2034, strengthen inland and coastal waterway networks and associated infrastructure, and support marina-related facilities and services alongside tourism promotion.

Through this engagement, EBI will work with coalition partners and EU institutions to ensure boating and nautical tourism are properly reflected in the Strategy and in related EU work on infrastructure, connectivity and investment priorities. The Coalition brings together 20 organisations and positions itself as a constructive partner for EU policymakers.

In February, a workshop was held within HELCOM on release of biocides from antifouling products used in recreational craft. EBI participated in the workshop in its role as observer at HELCOM.

The workshop was the starting point for implementation of one of the key actions of the Baltic Sea Action Plan with the aim to: "Minimize the release of biocides from antifouling products to the marine environment, and preferably by 2027 replace the use of biocidal antifouling products with biocide-free alternatives on structures, equipment and recreational craft in cases not already subject to the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships when available and environmentally and technically feasible."

In the meeting, there was board support to prioritise recreational boats as the main source of biocide releases ahead of aquaculture or wind farms.  Regulatory pressure is increasing at national level with Finland having already introduced strict limits on copper leaching and banned biocidal paints on boats under 7 m. Sweden is considering similar measures from 2026 onward. This signals a likely regional tightening of rules affecting product availability.

The workshop summarised that biocide-free alternatives are advancing, but not mature yet. Studies also flagged health and environmental risks from some biocide-free products (e.g. solvents, microplastics). Authorities are clear that alternatives will also be scrutinised, not automatically favoured. Legacy TBT remains an issue, as old underlying coatings on old boats may still release TBT during maintenance and cleaning despite TBT ban in 1989. According to studies from Sweden, this may be the case for 10-15% of boats. There was repeated emphasis that measures must be simple, practical and user-oriented, and that boaters and industry need to be part of solution design - an explicit point raised by EBI.

Sweden is also pushing to change authorisation of antifouling products at EU level. Current EU rules allow results from a single marine area to be applied across all regions and Sweden will push for products to be tested in the Baltic Sea too in order to prevent “overly effective products” in the Baltic Sea.

Germany and Sweden are likely to co-lead a HELCOM task group on implementation with a recommendation and roadmap planned to achieve reduction/end of biocidal antifouling for recreational craft.

From the side of industry, there are several points of concern, including a risk of further fragmentation of rules across Europe, uncertainty for industry and boaters due to mixed evidence on alternatives and potentially fast-moving policy deadlines. There is also a growing focus on microplastics, in-water cleaning and secondary impacts, not just biocides, that may affect availability of non-biocide alternatives.

EBI will continue to be involved as official HELCOM observer, but also encourages members to discuss this with their national authorities and other stakeholders.