Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar MEP (EPP, Portuguese) has welcomed the European Commission’s proposal to recast the mandate of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), presented in June (see EUROPE 13192/18). In its draft report published on Tuesday 19 September, the Commission came out in favour of extending EMSA’s remit to take account of significant maritime developments within the Union.
This reform broadens EMSA’s remit in areas such as maritime safety, sustainability, decarbonisation, security, cyber security, surveillance, crisis management support and the digital transformation of the maritime ecosystem. “These enhancements further solidify a secure and sustainable maritime realm”, said the rapporteur in her explanatory statement.
She felt that a more proactive role was needed in the modernisation of seaports. “Through enhanced cooperation with port authorities, EMSA helps establish and maintaining high safety standards, support decarbonisation and sustainability and facilitate smoother vessels operations”, she wrote. This proactive approach strengthens Europe's position as a “global trade hub”.
She also suggested establishing a common framework for investigating maritime accidents in order to reduce the burden on Member States and eliminate the current disparities in accident reporting and follow-up.
Ms Monteiro de Aguiar would like EMSA to have a permanent voice within the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations specialised agency that sets international standards to ensure the safety, security and environmental performance of maritime transport.
EMSA could then provide assistance to the implementation of sanctions against Russia and to UN bodies on ‘grain corridors’ (see EUROPE 13257/18 - see other news).
The MEP would also like to strengthen relations between EMSA and the European Parliament, with the aim of “enhancing transparency, accountability and alignment with interest of the Union’s citizens”.
Finally, given these new tasks, the rapporteur considered it essential to ensure that the fees charged by EMSA are proportionate in order to maintain fairness and affordability for all stakeholders. This means that the cost of EMSA’s services must be commensurate with the size, type or impact of the maritime activities concerned. New powers should always be accompanied by adequate resources, which should be guaranteed by the European Commission and the Member States.
Read the draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/8r2 (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)