You are using an outdated browser For a better experience using this site, please upgrade to a modern web browser. Subscribe Get Daily Email Subscribe --> Contact Us Sign in Home News & Features Compliance Costs Bunker Prices Bunker Intelligence World News Latest Features World Americas EMEA Asia/Pacific Home News & Features World INSIGHT: FuelEU's First Year Shows Cheap Compliance May Come at a Cost INSIGHT: FuelEU's First Year Shows Cheap Compliance May Come at a Cost by Philippos Ioulianou, Managing Director, EmissionLink Thursday July 16, 2026 Tweet Follow @shipandbunker Philippos Ioulianou, Managing Director, EmissionLink FuelEU Maritime has succeeded in creating a compliance market. The question now is whether that market is becoming too successful for its own good. As the first reporting year closed at the end of June, compliance surplus prices have fallen faster than many anticipated, making it increasingly affordable for shipowners to buy their way into compliance rather than invest in lower-carbon fuels. That may be welcome news for operators facing rising regulatory costs, but it raises an uncomfortable question for policymakers. If compliance becomes too cheap, will FuelEU still deliver the fuel transition it was designed to achieve? “ FuelEU has done more than introduce another environmental regulation. It has created a new commercial market for compliance FuelEU has done more than introduce another environmental regulation. It has created a new commercial market for compliance, one that has developed at remarkable speed. That flexibility is useful for shipowners with different trading patterns, fuel strategies and levels of EU exposure. But if the market consistently makes compliance cheaper than investing in low-carbon fuels, does the regulation still encourage genuine decarbonisation? Most shipowners did not ignore FuelEU. There was uncertainty and confusion, but most moved towards pooling as their favourite option, alternative fuels (i.e bio