The president-designate European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Panos Lascaridis, late last week thoroughly decried what he called certain "quarters within the EU" that are trying to implement regional measures in the maritime shipping sector.
Lascaridis, the founder and CEO of Laskaridis Shipping and Lavinia Corp. and the current ECSA vice-president, spoke during the 3rd Naftemporiki shipping conference in Athens, held at the Megaron concert hall.
His statement came during a panel session along with several other prominent shipping executives, held during the first part of the conference. The first segment focused on the issue of retaining European shipping's competitiveness and implementing IMO regulations.
Laskaridis said shipping issues, especially ones dealing with environmental protection, should be taken on a global scale and in a unified manner, and not with individual measures taken by organizations or regional actors. He recognized the need for shipping to contribute to environmental protection, to the degree that it relates to the sector.
Additionally, the soon-to-be ECSA president said European shipping must increasingly present a common front and voice.
Laskaridis referred directly to the EU's Monitoring, Reporting & Verification system, which has generated vocal opposition by the shipping sector.
Shipping interests have repeatedly stated that they want such issues to be resolved via international treaties, and within the IMO framework.
"The potential enactment of regional measures, on the part of the EU, leave open the possibility of counter-measures by other countries," he warned.
On his part, Grimaldi Group SpA Managing Director and Italian Shipowners Association (Confitarma) president Emanuele Grimaldi touched on the need to deal with the environmental issues faced by the shipping sector, and the adaptation of the latest technological developments.
The current president-elect of the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Anastasios Papagiannopoulos, a long-time principal executive with Common Progress Co Na S.A., highlighted the importance that shipping has for the European Union, reminding that 90 percent of the bloc's external trade is conducted through sea transport; 37 percent of the internal trade.
He added that 2.2 million people in the EU are employed in the shipping sector. Papagiannopoulos continued by saying that Europe holds 40 percent of the global maritime transport capacity, half of which is controlled by Greek interests.
In terms of euros and cents, he said shipping contributes a whopping 147 billion euros annually to the Union's GDP, based on the most recent figures in 2013.
"For every one million contributed by shipping to the EU's GDP, another 1.6 million is created in the economy," he said.
On his part, Tsavliris Salvage owner Georgios Tsavliris agreed that the specter of environmental protection hangs over the sector, especially carbon emissions and ballast water management.
He bemoaned the fact that varying regulations are now in place around the world, making compliance difficult and compliance costs unforeseeable.
The panel session was moderated by Efthymios Mitropoulos, the IMO's honorary secretary-general, the president of the Maria Tsakos Foundation and one of the world's foremost shipping, maritime safety and harbor operations specialists.
In his opening remarks, Mitropoulos referred to the word "uncertainty", which he said now dominates discussions and conference events on shipping.
"I hear this word in all of the meetings in which I participate to describe the situation around the world, and not just in Greece," he stressed.
Nevertheless, he appeared positive over the long-term prospects for the sector.
"When this economic crisis ends, then the volume of sea trade will simultaneously increase with the global economy," the former IMO head said, adding: "as our world proceeds towards a low-carbon future, we should see how this growth will materialize. It is difficult of us to predict. One thing is certain, however, without effective sea transport, and without the transport of essential goods and products between continents, then growth will not be possible."
