FuelEU Maritime has applied since 1 January 2025. It covers ships above 5,000 gross tonnage that transport passengers or cargo for commercial purposes, regardless of flag, subject to the exclusions and special provisions in Article 2. Within that scope, the calculation generally covers 100% of energy used on voyages between covered EU ports and within a covered EU port, and 50% on voyages between a covered EU port and a third-country port.
The regulation starts from a reference value of 91.16 gCO₂e/MJ. The limit is reduced by 2% from 2025 through 2029, giving 89.34 gCO₂e/MJ when rounded to two decimals. The reduction becomes 6% in 2030, 14.5% in 2035, 31% in 2040, 62% in 2045, and 80% in 2050.
Compliance is assessed for each reporting period using the yearly average well-to-wake GHG intensity of energy used on board. The calculation follows the regulation's method and prescribed factors, and reported data is checked by an accredited verifier. A commercial fuel label or supplier CI declaration does not replace that process.
The regulation allows banking of a surplus, limited borrowing of an advance surplus, and pooling between ships when its conditions are met. A pool must have a positive total compliance balance; allocation cannot make a deficient ship more deficient or turn a ship with a surplus into a deficient ship. These mechanisms are regulated accounting flexibilities; they should not be described as an unrestricted carbon-credit market.
After annual verification and any permitted banking, borrowing, or pooling, a remaining deficit results in the statutory FuelEU penalty calculated under Annex IV. Repeated deficits increase the penalty multiplier. The actual outcome depends on verified energy use, factors, scope, and any valid flexibility, so a headline fuel price or CI number cannot determine the result alone.
For procurement, collect the fuel pathway, feedstock, well-to-tank and tank-to-wake factors, LCV, quantity, proof of sustainability where required, and the evidence needed by the verifier. Verdaxis tools can compare declared inputs and model planning scenarios. They do not create the official FuelEU report or determine a ship's legal compliance.