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The European shipping industry has urged the European Union to develope a complete new strategy for the maritime business rather than doing a »fitness check«.

During this years European Shipping Week, several industry associations welcomed the European Commission’s mid-term revie[ds_preview]w of the EU Maritime Transport Strategy 2009-2018. These were the cruise association CLIA Europe, European Banking Authority (EBA), European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA), The European Community Shipowners‘ Associations (ECSA), European Maritime Pilots‘ Association (EMPA), European TugOwners Association (ETA), European Transport Workers‘ Federation (ETF), European Dredging Association (EuDA), Interferry and the World Shipping Council (WSC).

However, the industry endorsed the emphasis on better regulation. Regional vs. global regulation is an issue widely discussed in the past years, as the EU is enhancing its efforts to step in the regulatory process for environmentally friendly shipping. »Absolute priority must in this respect be given to a fundamental overhaul of the EU Reporting Formalities’ Directive. The revision should lead to a true European single window environment for maritime carriers that fully ensures the ‘reporting once’ principle and which shares all necessary cargo and conveyance data between governments and all relevant authorities«, it was said.

This would reduce the administrative burden for ship crews, shipping companies and ship agents. According to the associations, more simplifications of procedures and requirements are, however, needed to put shipping on an equal par with land-based transport modes, which already benefit from a Single Market. Europe’s commerce and economy need shipping to have a genuine Maritime Space without Barriers that will deliver real environmental and logistics benefits.

This is said to be one of the reasons why the European shipping industry calls upon the EU institutions and Member States to go beyond a regulatory »fitness check« of existing legislation. »A new shipping strategy is needed for the next decade, beyond 2018. The initiative of the Maltese Presidency of the EU to adopt a Ministerial Declaration on Maritime Transport Policy is therefore a welcome first step. We hope subsequent presidencies will continue this momentum within the maritime area.«

It as added, that the future EU shipping strategy should be ambitious and aim at promoting Europe as a globally leading, high-quality region for shipping to do business in. This would require investment in an attractive business climate, a highly skilled European workforce, consistent implementation of international environmental and safety standards as well as policies which are truly relevant and conducive to facilitating trade.

»The future EU shipping strategy should particularly show leadership in assisting the shipping industry to meet global challenges. In the face of increasing political uncertainties worldwide, the EU should affirm its role as the world’s champion of free and fair trade. It should also help the IMO shape a global strategy to ensure the shipping industry meets its climate obligations in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way.«