The EU Council's Working Party on Shipping is scheduled to meet on 10 July 2026 in Brussels to coordinate member states' positions ahead of key International Maritime Organization (IMO) sessions, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published on 7 July 2026. The meeting will address IMO work on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, forward planning of IMO submissions, and preparations for several upcoming IMO meetings, including the IMO Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 12) in September, the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 112) in December, and the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 22) in September.
A central item on the agenda is the examination of a Commission non-paper on onboard carbon capture technologies (document ST 11479/26), which will inform the EU's input to IMO/CCC 12. The Working Party will also review a Presidency compromise proposal on artificial intelligence systems in navigational equipment (ST 11265/1/26 REV 1, to be issued) ahead of IMO/MSC 112. Additionally, the Commission will provide an oral presentation on amending the ILO/IMO Code of practice on port security for the same MSC session. For the ISWG-GHG 22 meeting, the Working Party will examine a Presidency compromise proposal on GHG measures aligned with the 2023 IMO GHG strategy (ST 11601/26, to be issued). The meeting will also include an information session from the Commission on the state of play of IMO work on GHG emissions and forward planning of IMO submissions.
The meeting reflects the EU's ongoing efforts to harmonise member states' positions in IMO forums, particularly on climate-related measures. The discussions on carbon capture and AI standards highlight the bloc's push for technological solutions to maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation. The outcome of the Working Party will shape the EU's negotiating stance at the upcoming IMO sessions, where decisions on GHG reduction targets and technical regulations are expected.
Stakeholders impacted include EU shipping companies, which face potential new compliance costs from GHG measures and carbon capture requirements; technology providers developing onboard carbon capture and AI navigation systems, who may benefit from regulatory clarity; EU port authorities, which could be affected by changes to port security codes; and environmental NGOs, which will monitor the ambition of the EU's GHG proposals. The meeting is procedural and does not produce binding decisions, but its recommendations will feed into formal Council positions for IMO negotiations.