Regulation (EU) 2015/757 · EU ETS · FuelEU Maritime

MRV verification for ships

EU MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) requires shipping companies to monitor and report CO₂, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions from ships calling at ports in the EU and EEA – and to have the report verified by an accredited verifier before submission. Ecoxy verifies monitoring plans and emission reports under MRV, EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime.

Who is covered?

The MRV regulation applies to ships over 5,000 gross tons that carry cargo or passengers for commercial purposes, on voyages to, from, and between ports in the EU/EEA. Norway is included through the EEA Agreement. From 2025, the scheme will be extended to also cover cargo ships between 400 and 5,000 GT and offshore vessels from 400 GT – for these, monitoring and reporting apply, but not quota obligations.

The shipping company must have a monitoring plan per ship that describes how fuel consumption and emissions are measured, and must submit an emission report per ship each year. Both the plan and the report must be assessed by a verifier accredited under Regulation (EU) 2016/2072 and ISO 14065.

Since 2024, the MRV data will also form the basis for quota obligations under EU ETS, and from 2025 for the requirements on the climate intensity of fuels under FuelEU Maritime. The same figures, three regulations – and the same verifier can cover all.

In summary: The monitoring plan is assessed once and upon changes. The emission report is verified annually and must be submitted by March 31. Quotas for the previous year must be submitted by September 30.

Deadlines throughout the year

  • January 1 – December 31: Monitoring per voyage and per year: fuel, distance, time at sea, and transport work.
  • March 31: Verified emission report for the previous year is submitted to the Commission and the flag state via THETIS-MRV. The same deadline applies to the company-level report under EU ETS.
  • June 30: The ship must have on board a Document of Compliance issued by the verifier.
  • September 30: The shipping company submits allowances for the previous year's emissions under EU ETS.

Phasing in of EU ETS

For emissions in 2024, allowances for 40% must be submitted, for 2025 for 70%, and from 2026 for 100% of the reported emissions. From 2026, methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) will also be subject to the allowance obligation, having been reported since 2024.

What the verifier checks

The verification follows ISO 14064-3 and the regulation's requirements for materiality and traceability.

Monitoring plan

Is the chosen method for fuel measurement (delivery notes, tank gauging, flow meters, or direct CO₂ measurement) described and suitable? Are the emission factors correct for the fuel, and are responsibilities and routines for data quality in place?

Emission report

Completeness and accuracy

Do the voyages match the port calls and logbooks? Is all fuel accounted for, including in port and at anchor? Are the deviations within the materiality threshold of 5%? The verifier tests the data against the source documents, not just against the spreadsheet.

Conclusion

Verification statement

The result is a verification report with a statement on whether the report is satisfactory, any deviations, and recommendations. An approved report provides the basis for the Document of Compliance and for the allowance settlement under EU ETS.

Ecoxy as verifier

Double accredited – ISO 14065 and ISO/IEC 17029 – and with field teams that know the engines the report is about.

Accredited by Norwegian Accreditation

NS-EN ISO 14065:2021 for greenhouse gas verification and NS-EN ISO/IEC 17029:2019 for validation and verification. Ecoxy verifies around 40 facilities per year.

We keep track of plans, reports, and deadlines for each ship, and start the verification early enough for deviations to be corrected before March 31.

Deadline overview

Measurement and verification from the same house

Måling og verifisering fra samme hus

If the report requires documented emission factors or flow meter checks, we have field engineers who can measure on board – within the independence requirements of the regulation.

MRV, EU ETS and FuelEU in one

One verifier for all three regulations means one data collection, one review, and fewer questions back to the shipping company.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between MRV and EU ETS?

MRV is the reporting regime: what is measured, how, and when it is reported. EU ETS is the quota system that uses MRV figures to calculate how many quotas the shipping company must submit. Without a verified MRV report, there is no basis for the quota settlement.

Who is responsible – the owner or the operator?

Under EU ETS, the 'shipping company' is the owner, or the one who has taken over the operational responsibility from the owner (for example, the ISM company) and has assumed the obligations. Responsibility can be agreed to be transferred but must be documented.

What if we change verifier?

The shipping company is free to change. The new verifier needs access to the monitoring plan, previous reports, and verification reports. Ecoxy usually takes over without the shipping company having to collect data again.

Does Ecoxy also verify FuelEU Maritime?

Yes. The FuelEU report is based on the same monitoring plan and the same fuel data.

Order verification

Please provide the number of ships, which regulations apply, and whether the monitoring plan is in place, and we will send an offer and schedule within 24 hours on weekdays.

Order verification Contact us directly

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