Directive on Reporting Formalities for ships arriving at or departing fron EU ports

From 19th May 2012, the new EU Directive 2010/65/EU on reporting formalities, applicable to ships arriving at, or departing from, ports in the European Union, superseded Directive 2002/6/EC. The purpose is to simplify and harmonise the administrative procedures in maritime transport by standardising the electronic transmission of information and by rationalising reporting formalities.

GHG Emissions from ships

European Legislation compels the EU to take action to help meet its own target of a 20 per cent emissions cut across all sectors by 2020, if no international agreement to deal with maritime emissions was in place by the end of 2011.

SCTW Recognition of the Philippines

An extremely urgent situation arises from the ongoing issue of the EU threatening to withdraw STCW recognition of the Philippines which would mean that the some 80,000 Filipino seamen would not be able to work on board EU Member States' vessels.

Enforcement of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention in EU Law

Following a public consultation on the enforcement of the ILO MLC in EU law, in which the shipping industry indicated that it did not consider additional or specific EU rules for compliance and enforcement necessary, the European Commission, nevertheless, proposed that two new Directives should be adopted, as per below:

Developments in Greece

Although in its 6th year of recession, with unemployment running at 27%, and, shockingly, over 64% unemployment amongst its youth, Greece's economy is showing the first welcome, albeit faint, signs of recovery.

Fleet Statistics

THE WORLD FLEET

According to Lloyd's Register-Fairplay data, as of March 22nd, 2013, the world fleet of self-propelled, sea-going merchant ships, greater than 1,000 gross tons (GT), stood at 50,450 ships of 1,239,068,857 gross tons, including 4,631 ships, of 229,309,148 gross tons, on order.