Institutional spillovers and energy efficiency in maritime transport: Evidence from the EU MRV dataset

A B S T R A C T Improving energy efficiency in maritime transport is a key pillar of decarbonization policy. While existing studies often focus on individual vessels or aggregate trends, this paper introduces a spatial-institutional perspective to explore how regulatory and operational interdependencies among flag states influence ship-level efficiency. Using vessel-level data from the EU Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, it is applyed a Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to assess whether improvements in technical efficiency diffuse across ports of registry. Results confirm significant institutional spillover effects: a vessel’s efficiency is positively influenced by the performance of ships registered under the same or administratively related flags. Fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions are negatively associated with efficiency, while time at sea shows a positive relationship. Counterfactual scenarios indicate that targeted fuel-reduction policies could trigger amplified efficiency gains through institutional multipliers. The findings suggest that registry governance, regulatory alignment, and cooperative mechanisms under frameworks like the EU ETS can enhance sector-wide decarbonization. This study contributes to the literature by introducing a spatial–institutional perspective on maritime energy efficiency, empirically quantifying registry-based spillover effects using vessel-level MRV data, and providing policy-relevant insights for coordinated decarbonization strategies within multilevel transport governance systems.