On Tuesday 20 December, the European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) unveiled a position paper on the European Commission’s communication on an integrated policy for the Arctic (see EUROPE 11541).
The shipowners welcome the EU’s desire to support the polar code promoted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and make a number of recommendations for maximising European added value.
The ECSA says the EU should support the development of critical maritime infrastructure through funding from the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The shipowners want satellite coverage by European space programmes, no doubt referring to the Copernicus and Galileo programmes, and suggest extending the resources of the European Agency for Maritime Security (EAMS) to cover the Artic area.
The ECSA suggests boosting research programmes to support arctic navigation through the EU-PolarNet initiative, space programmes and the 'Horizon 2020' framework-programme. Shipowners finally suggest European campaigns for communication about maritime activities in the Arctic zone and suggest the creation of an Arctic information centre in Brussels.
The association expresses disappointment in two areas. The first is the use of heavy fuel oil, HFO, which the EU is considering banning,. The ECSA points out that this question is being dealt with under the IMO’s polar code, which lists a number of restrictions, such as the duty to only sail double-hull oil tankers, to strengthen hulls to resist ice, and new criteria for ships built after 1 January 2017. European shipbuilders warn the EU against setting up new coordination forums among Arctic states, preferring the see the use of existing platforms. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)