The informal meeting of EU Transport Ministers, held on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 March in Croatia, was the occasion to adopt, in the presence of the Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, the declaration dubbed the Opatija Declaration, for "a carbon-neutral, accident-free, automated and competitive EU maritime transport sector".
The Croatian Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, at the initiative of this declaration, his 26 European counterparts and the Commissioner Vălean, have therefore committed themselves to working towards greening the sector, reducing its emissions and combating pollution.
They then intend to rethink waterborne transport to incorporate new technologies and take advantage of a more digital environment. This will also include ensuring the training of future seafarers and taking into account the needs of workers in the sector.
Finally, the ministers want to see waterborne transport become safer and more competitive.
These five areas of action will be the subject of draft conclusions at the next Transport Council, Oleg Butković announced.
"By the end of the year, we will present an intelligent mobility strategy covering waterborne transport and providing guidelines for the implementation of a decarbonisation of the European maritime sector", said Vălean.
"Sustainability and economic growth must go hand in hand: this requires technology, infrastructure and will take effort", she added.
The fact that all 27 Member States have agreed to sign the Opatija Declaration is proof, in her view, that this issue is one of their priorities.
Fight against the coronavirus. However, another subject was also on the agenda of this informal meeting: the COVID-19 epidemic, the consequences of which for "mobility, transport itself and logistics are considerable" lamented the Commissioner.
"Mobility is one of the three pillars of the Task Force set up by the European Commission to combat coronaviruses", she noted at her press conference with Mr Butković.
They both decided to hold an Emergency Council of Transport Ministers next week, by videoconference, to discuss the matter. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)