欧盟海运燃料条例（FuelEU Maritime）即将到来！

| 本文原作者：Oliver Goossens, Gard

被期待已久的BIMCO期租合同下 FuelEU Maritime条款现已发布。这对于船东和租船人来说，都是一个有益且受欢迎的起点，双方可以就如何根据租船合同的费用和计算方式达成一致。但是，由于该条款没有涵盖所有内容，因此船东和租船人在将此条款全面纳入租船合同时应注意某些问题。本文将更深入地探讨这些问题，以及各方可能应该考虑添加或修改标准措辞的地方。

（条款原文见于文末）

一、船用替代燃料

子条款 (c) 旨在使租船人能够向船舶加注并使用生物燃料或其他替代燃料，以符合FuelEU Mairtime的要求。各方应记住，任何使用生物燃料或其他合规技术（能源）的协议都可能需要其他内容的相应修改，包括：船舶航速油耗和保证条款、燃油规格以及船上燃油试验、清洁/准备油舱的潜在规定以及对这些时间和成本的协议。

同意使用替代燃料的一个基础条件应是获得船级社和主机商的意见，这些意见同样可能需要船东的H&M保险公司的批准。

二、交船时报告合规余额（Compliance Balance）

子条款 (a) 要求船东在交船将前两个报告期的合规余额时通知给租船人。条款中“报告期”定义为1月1日至12月31日的日历年。

这种透明度是必要的，以便租船人了解未来的罚款如何计算。根据 FuelEU Maritime，连续几年出现余额赤字将增加船舶的罚款比例——第一年增加 10%，第二年增加20%，依此类推。因此，租船人需要清楚了解之前的合规余额，以了解他们可能面临的风险。

如果租船人接了一艘在前一年出现合规赤字的船舶，然后又继续出现合规赤字，则该船舶罚款将多出10%（“乘数”），这部分是由于前任租船人的表现而产生的。因此，理想情况下，要租入此类船舶的租家应对条款进行谈判，以使乘数的影响不由他们承担。

三、合规余额的计算

子条款 (d) 下的默认规定是，船东应在每个相关航次结束后的15天内通知租船人累计合规余额。如果合规余额为负数/赤字（即船舶的温室气体排放超过限额，因此招致罚款），船东的计算必须经过“独立验证”才能提交给租船人。解释性说明规定，任何服务提供商都可以进行这种验证，但船东选择的验证机构是否始终被视为“独立”可能会引起争议。鉴于本条款要求验证船东的计算才能触发任何付款，船东应确保这是可行的。各方可能希望包括如何在各方之间分摊验证费用的规定（该费用是来自租船人的交易决策，还是仅仅是船东的运营成本？）。

在船舶被转租的情况下，租船人可能希望同意船东计算的任何责任（特别是经过核实的责任）是固定的和有约束力的，以免租船人与其转租人陷入困境。

四、附加费支付

根据子条款 (d)，当船舶在欧盟境内的运营超过FuelEU Maritime温室气体排放限值时，租船人应支付附加费。附加费反映了船舶因此而应承担的罚款成本。双方可自由商定租船人何时向船东支付附加费。根据子条款 (f)，该费用可按月或按航次支付，或在还船时一起支付，但不得晚于次年的6月7日，届时船东将计算并确认其当年最终的FuelEU Maritime责任。

付款条件和期限可以协商，但船东应注意，如果在最终租金报表来计算这笔付款，船东可能会面临一笔巨大且无担保的账款。租船人可能会抗辩说，除非/直到船东实际确认并支付了这些罚款，否则他们不应该向船东提供资金来支付罚款。在这方面，子条款 (g) 规定了船东可能向租船人偿还附加费的规则，旨在解决这一问题。至少，租船人应始终努力确保根据转租合同安排的任何付款与与船东达成的协议相符。

如果双方选择按月或按航次付款，BIMCO 条款赋予船东在附加费未支付的情况下暂停租船合同项下的服务的权利。这类似于 BIMCO EU-ETS 条款下的暂停履约规定，一些租船人不愿将其纳入合同。如果租船人至少同意将这笔付款推迟到支付最后一笔租金，这将消除任何租约中止的威胁。

五、存储（banking）/合规联营（Pooling）

根据子条款 (i)，租船人有权指示船东根据 BIMCO 条款将任何合规余额进行存储（banking）或联营（pooling），但前提是租船合同涵盖完整的报告期——即从1月1日到12月31日。因此，在2025年2月至2026年11月签订的租船合同未经修改，租船人无权进行banking或pooling。这大概是为了反映这样一个事实：船东（和二船东）需要小心，不要授予租船人相互冲突的权利，即由谁来决定banking和pooling，因为在每个日历年，只有一方有权做出这样的选择。

如果租船人有资格进行banking和pooling，船东必须按照租船人的指示进行。如果船东希望保留拒绝pooling的权利（例如，在有制裁风险的情况下），船东需要在任何条款中明确保留这样做的权利。虽然没有明确规定，但据推测租船人将向船东提供允许banking和pooling的所有必要信息；尽管明确规定所有banking和pooling费用和责任将由租船人承担。

目前尚不清楚pooling协议在实践中如何运作，根据BIMCO条款，如果船东因pooling中的合规盈余而受益，船东是否或如何向租船人偿还这笔款项，或者受益款项是否直接归租船人所有，目前尚不清楚。这是另一个可能需要一些额外措辞或协议的问题。BIMCO 的解释性说明规定，租船人应从pooling中获得任何利益，但条款中似乎没有对此作出明确规定。

如果双方预计该船舶将产生大量的 FuelEU Maritime合规盈余，那么我们建议仔细考虑如何处理（以及可能的pooling），因为 BIMCO 条款对此的细节要求很少，而租船人可能希望更确定他们的权利是什么。

如果船东希望将船舶纳入pooling作为其独立联营策略的一部分，船东将需要修改 BIMCO 条款中赋予租船人pooling决定权的规定。此类修改需要处理谁承担合规联营（pooling）成本、租船人是否/如何偿还，以及合规联营余额产生的资金将如何处理。

六、借贷（borrowing）

只有在船舶租期至少包含两个连续报告期（子条款 (l)）的情况下才允许借贷（borrowing）。也就是说，船舶租期必须从2025年1月1日持续到2026年 12月31日，租船人才能要求船东在2026年借贷以弥补前一年的合规赤字。租船人无权在租期的最后一年借贷，这应该会给船东一些时间在最后一年采取行动来处理任何借贷产生的合规赤字。

船东可能希望对可借贷的余额进行限制，这样，如果赤字超过一定限额，租船人就没有借贷的权利，即使根据法规，目前借贷限额被限制在2%。

七、合规余额结算

如果租船合同持续数年，且船舶在最初几年产生了合规盈余，那么很容易理解，租船人希望获得全部权益，无论是将合规余额进行存储（banking）以备未来几年使用，还是将余额pooling起来以实现其价值。但是，在一年中部分月份累积的余额应该如何处理，例如，当租船人在2027年6月还船时，这年的前六个月的余额如何处理？如果该租船人有权决定如何处理前六个月累积的余额，那么下一个租船人将无法决定如何处理这年后六个月产生的余额。对于仅持续几个月但可能产生 FuelEU Maritime合规余额的租船合同，也会出现同样的担忧。

BIMCO 对此的解决方案包含在子条款 (m) 中，但只有在双方就要合规余额的数值达成一致时才适用。根据这个子条款，船东将按照预先商定的价格向租船人支付合规余额的总费用。对于船东来说，这种安排的困难在于，他们可能无法知道这些合规余额究竟能产生多大价值。相应地，租船人可能不希望收到低于他们所获得合规余额全部价值的金额。一个更复杂的替代方案是，在余额变现时，将余额的全部实际价值转给租船人。

八、结论

BIMCO 条款为 FuelEU Maritime法规的各种机制如何在租船合同下运作提供了一个起点。鉴于该行业仍在熟悉实际运作方式，BIMCO 条款有助于合同的谈判，但并不是解决所有各方问题的灵丹妙药。仍需要仔细考虑如何修改该条款，以适应不同各方的需求及其在欧盟运营船舶的使用计划。

参考阅读信德海事专题报道《终于！BIMCO推出期租FuelEU Maritime条款》

^ATTENTION: The Parties may wish to consider whether it is necessary to make amendments to the existing Charter Party to reflect the use of alternative fuels including biofuels.

“Compliance Balance” means the measure of the Vessel’s over- or under-compliance with regard to the limits for the yearly average GHG intensity of the energy used on board by the Vessel during Voyages within the scope of FuelEU Maritime, which is calculated in accordance with Part A of Annex IV of FuelEU Maritime.

“FuelEU Database” means the electronic database for the monitoring and recording of compliance with FuelEU Maritime established by the European Commission.

"FuelEU Maritime" means Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 of the European Parliament and of the Council, governing the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport, and amending Directive 2009/16/EC as amended from time to time, including all implementing acts and delegated acts and regulations.

“FuelEU Penalty” means the penalty in respect of a Reporting Period calculated in accordance with FuelEU Maritime taking into account, where applicable under this Clause, any multiplier as set out in Article 23(2) of FuelEU Maritime.

“GHG Intensity” means the amount of GHG emissions per megajoule (MJ) of the fuels and energy, expressed in grams of CO2 equivalent units (gCO2eq/MJ), used on board the Vessel under the scope of FuelEU Maritime, calculated in accordance with the methodology set out in Annex I of FuelEU Maritime.

"Reporting Period" means a period from 1 January to 31 December of the year during which information referred to in FuelEU Maritime is monitored and recorded.

“Verification Period” means the calendar year following a Reporting Period.

“Voyage” means a voyage as defined in Article 3, point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2015/757.

a.The Parties acknowledge that the Vessel is required to comply with FuelEU Maritime and the Owners shall upon delivery inform the Charterers of the Vessel’s Compliance Balance for the previous two Reporting Periods and the aggregated Compliance Balance for the current Reporting Period up to the date of delivery. 

b.For each respective Reporting Period during the Charter Period, the Owners shall ensure that the Vessel has a monitoring plan recorded in the FuelEU Database and that the GHG Intensity of the fuels and energy consumed by the Vessel is monitored and reported for verification by an independent verifier in accordance with FuelEU Maritime.

c.The Charterers shall have the option to enable the Vessel to comply with FuelEU Maritime through the supply of fuels and energy provided that: (i) such fuels comply with the bunker specifications and clauses contained in this Charter Party^; and (ii) the bunker delivery notes (BDNs) and electricity delivery notes (EDNs) are provided in accordance with FuelEU Maritime; and if applicable, (iii) they are certified and documented to the satisfaction of the verifier to meet the sustainability and the GHG emissions saving criteria set out under FuelEU Maritime to obtain any benefit(s) in FuelEU Maritime calculations.

d.Within the first fifteen (15) days [of each month/after each Voyage]* and upon redelivery, the Owners shall notify the Charterers in writing of the aggregated Compliance Balance of the Vessel incurred during the Charter Period in the then current Reporting Period. If the aggregated Compliance Balance has a negative value, the Owners shall provide to the Charterers the calculation and independently validated information used in the calculation of a surcharge equal to the FuelEU Penalty expected for that previous month or that Voyage (whichever applies) and upon redelivery (the Surcharge). The Surcharge shall be payable in accordance with subclause (f).

e.For the purpose of calculating any Surcharge, the following shall be excluded:

(i)fuel and energy consumed during any undisputed off-hire periods;

(ii)the effects of any banking, borrowing or pooling decisions made prior to the commencement of the Charter Period unless otherwise agreed; and

(iii)the effects of the Vessel having had a negative Compliance Balance for two consecutive Reporting Periods or more prior to the commencement of the Charter Period.

f.The Charterers shall pay the Surcharge(s) to the Owners on a [monthly/per Voyage] basis or, if no payment frequency is selected, at the same time as the final hire payment is due or within the first seven (7) days of June of the Verification Period(s), whichever is earlier.

g.Where the Surcharge is paid on a monthly/per Voyage basis and the aggregated Compliance Balance remains the same as the previous month/Voyage, no Surcharge shall be payable for the current month/Voyage. If a negative aggregated Compliance Balance for a specific month/Voyage in a Reporting Period is reduced or eliminated, the Charterers shall be entitled to reimbursement of a sum corresponding to such improvement from the Surcharge(s) provided that a Surcharge(s) has been paid by the Charterers on a monthly/per Voyage basis within that specific Reporting Period. The Owners shall reimburse the Charterers within seven (7) days of the written notification of the aggregated Compliance Balance.

h.If the Charterers fail to pay the Surcharge(s) in accordance with subclause (f), the Owners shall, by giving the Charterers five (5) days’ notice, have the right to suspend the performance of any or all of their obligations under this Charter Party until such time as payment of the Surcharge(s) are received in full by the Owners. The Owners' right to suspend performance under this subclause shall be without prejudice to any other rights or claims they may have against the Charterers under this Charter Party.

i,If the Charter Period covers a complete Reporting Period, the Charterers shall have the right to instruct the Owners to bank or pool any Compliance Balance in accordance with FuelEU Maritime. The Owners shall register in the FuelEU Database any banking or pooling of any Compliance Balance generated under that Reporting Period in accordance with the Charterers’ instructions, provided that such instructions are received by the Owners no later than [X**] days prior to 30 April of a Verification Period. The Charterers shall be responsible for any liability or costs arising as a consequence of such instructions.

j.If the Charter Period covers at least two consecutive Reporting Periods, the Charterers shall have the right to instruct the Owners to borrow from the following Reporting Period provided the following Reporting Period falls entirely within the Charter Period. The Owners shall register in the FuelEU Database any borrowing in accordance with the Charterers’ instructions, provided such instructions are received by the Owners no later than [X**] days prior to 30 April of a Verification Period.

k.If the Charterers’ instruction to borrow or pool pursuant to subclauses (i) and (j) reduces or eliminates the Vessel’s negative Compliance Balance for that Reporting Period, and provided that the Charterers have paid a Surcharge(s), the Owners shall reimburse the Charterers a sum equivalent to the difference between the final Surcharge paid for the relevant Reporting Period and the FuelEU Penalty for that Reporting Period, no later than [X**] days after receipt of the FuelEU Document of Compliance.

l.***If the Charter Period covers at least two consecutive Reporting Periods, and the Vessel has a negative Compliance Balance for the last two consecutive complete Reporting Periods or more during the Charter Period prior to redelivery, the Charterers shall pay to the Owners upon redelivery, by way of liquidated damages and not as a penalty (in addition to any Surcharge(s) paid), the sum of [insert currency and amount]. The Charterers and the Owners agree this sum is a legitimate and fair estimate of the Owners’ future exposure to the FuelEU multiplier after redelivery in accordance with FuelEU Maritime.

m.***If the aggregated Compliance Balance incurred during the Charter Period for any Reporting Period is positive, the Owners will pay the Charterers a sum equal to [insert currency and amount] per tonne of CO2 equivalent of positive Compliance Balance (remaining after any banking and/or pooling) up to a maximum of [insert currency and amount] within [X**] days after 30 June of the corresponding Verification Period or upon redelivery (whichever is earlier).

n.It is expressly agreed that the rights and obligations of the Parties set out in subclauses (i), (j), (k) and (m) shall survive the expiration or termination of this Charter Party unless or until the Parties have fulfilled or satisfied their respective obligations under FuelEU Maritime. 

o.**** If the Charter Period continues beyond 1 January 2030, the Owners shall ensure that the Vessel is in every way fitted to connect to onshore power supply and use it for all the Vessel’s electrical power demand at berth where the Vessel is obliged to connect to on-shore power supply in accordance with FuelEU Maritime and where the port of call has the requisite facilities. In such cases, the Charterers shall pay for the electricity used for the Vessel’s power demand at berth provided: (i) The Vessel is moored for cargo operations or other employment of the Charterers; (ii) the Vessel is not off-hire; and (iii) such electricity is not consumed for purposes which are strictly attributable to the Owners.

* If the parties do not elect one of the two options in subclause (d), the default shall be “after each Voyage”.

** If number of days is not inserted in subclauses (i) and/or (j) and/or (k) and/or (m), the default shall be seven (7) days.

*** If currency and amount are not inserted in subclauses (l) and/or (m), then those subclause(s) shall not apply.

**** Subclause (o) is only applicable to container vessels and passenger vessels.