Athens, 08/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - In their maritime transport discussions during their informal meeting in Athens on Wednesday 7 May, European ministers focused on issues of competitiveness and jobs in the sector.
Competitiveness. Greek Minister for Maritime Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis pointed out that many delegations (especially the Netherlands, according to one European source) had expressed the wish to set up a more transparent and coherent tax regime in the maritime sector, particularly for ports. The Athens Declaration adopted at the end of the debates also calls on the European Commission to adopt state aid for ports, there currently being no European framework on this question (see EUROPE 11074). A number of delegations, including France, stated that financial support for maritime transport services is crucial if European activities in this sector are to remain competitive in a globalised market. European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas confirmed that there is no plan to revise the guidelines on state aid for the maritime sector. In response to the adoption of the Athens Declaration, the ECSA speaking on the behalf of shipowners, also called for a stability to be maintained.
Attractiveness of jobs. Extensive discussions also took place among ministers on the issue of the attractiveness of maritime jobs, in an effort to keep skilled seafarers working in Europe. The commissioner asserted that decent working conditions for these workers had to be ensured through, for example, the ratification of international conventions in this area. He also reaffirmed that “slavery” did not exist in the European maritime industry but did concede that there was no standard wage policy. Training is also important if a highly skilled workforce is to be available in Europe and Kallas said that he wanted more Europeans to consider careers in the hi-tech maritime sector. The Athens Declaration also provided clear indications on this issue.
Athens Declaration. This document is due to be formally adopted during the European Transport Council Ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 5 June 2014. The Athens Declaration can be seen as a mid-term review of European maritime transport policy for 2009-2018. Commissioner Kallas confirmed that his institution would draw from this document when preparing the next European strategy on this subject. (MD)