European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc together with key figures from the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and the echelon of the European and global shipping industry, will be among speakers at the forthcoming European Shipping Week 2017 conference, to be held at the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s Hotel in Brussels on Wednesday March 1st.
The conference, which is the flagship event of European Shipping Week 2017, will focus on the key issues of the Business Climate; Maritime Careers; Digitisation; Emissions; and Safety under the overarching theme of: European Shipping Policy: Delivering Global Competitiveness, Quality and Sustainability.
Digitisation and modernisation of the policy framework are indispensable for the maritime sector to become even more quality oriented, sustainable and competitive in the years ahead. These are also the policy priorities outlined by the European Commission in view of recent developments in the sector and of progress in the implementation of the 2009 EU Maritime Transport Strategy.
Next year’s European Shipping Week, to be held in Brussels from Monday February 27th to Friday March 3, will offer the ideal platform for both industry and regulators to come together to debate and agree a pathway of these and other issues moving forward.
ESW17 will fall under the Maltese Presidency of the European Union and Valletta has already announced that it will focus its maritime agenda on migration and the Mediterranean. Decarbonisation of shipping will also come under discussion during the week, either in the context of the flagship conference or through a dedicated event.
Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), said:
“We are delighted to support the second edition of European Shipping Week. It will come at a crucial moment, with the future EU policy framework for our industry taking shape.”
The European Commission, through DG MOVE, has endorsed European Shipping Week 2017 and formal patronage is already being sought from it as well as from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
The initiative, which was started in 2015 by ECSA, will be run by a Steering Group made up of Europe’s main shipping organisations as well as the European Commission and Shipping Innovation. The shipping organisations involved on the Steering Group include: DG Move, the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU, ECSA; Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe; European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA); Interferry; the European Dredging Association (EuDA); the World Shipping Council (WSC), the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the European Tugowners’ Association (ETA) as well as the European Maritime Pilots Association (EMPA). Other European shipping associations may also be invited to support the initiative and hold relevant events during the week.
The week‐long series of high level events will bring together the major players in the shipping industry. More information about European Shipping Week 2017 is available at www.europeanshippingweek.com
ESW is organised by Shipping Innovation – the driving force behind the highly successful London International Shipping Week (LISW).
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