ECSA: Strategic priorities for EU shipping policy in next five years

0
1018

(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) Setting out its aims for the next five years, the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) has maintained that climate change is the maritime industry’s number one priority.

Entitled "Sailing ahead - European shipping sets ambitious goals for its next chapter", the publication outlines ten priority areas which the European shipping industry will be focusing on.

"To be very clear, climate is the top priority for the whole shipping sector," commented ECSA Secretary General, Martin Dorsman. "The industry is keen to work with its European and global partners to reach the goal set by the IMO to cut CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2050. This means we need to start working now to ensure the necessary alternative fuels, bunker infrastructure and technologies are developed in time to be taken up on a global scale. This is a huge challenge and also opportunity for the sector."

Following this are the issues of trade and competitiveness. Faced with the disruptions caused by the US-China trade war, the breakdown of the global multilateral trading system as well as the state-funded unfair competition posed by other global shipping centres, the European shipping industry needs to recalibrate its competitive advantages in order to remain on top of its game.

A successful European shipping industry directly impacts for the whole European economy, as 76% of the EU's trade in goods is transported by sea.

Closely related to these priorities is the area of human resources:

"Europe has a long maritime tradition that spans over at least three millennia. Our industry is strong due to our unique knowhow and talent pool, resulting from this history. Attracting and retaining talent is intrinsic to the survival of our industry. This can only be achieved by investing in training and education, and respecting diversity and social values. We also need to align this with our ambitious climate goals and the use of the latest maritime technologies, to make our companies more competitive and attractive to investors and customers," continued Mr Dorsman.

The other priority areas covered in the new strategy publication are: internal market, digitalisation and innovation, safety, legal affairs, taxation and better regulation.

Click below to download the ECSA paper.

History of European shipping
History of European shipping
Direct Economic Impact
Direct Economic Impact
The economic value of the EU shipping industry
The economic value of the EU shipping industry

Source: ECSA

[Total: 0]