The German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) has appealed to the re-elected EU President Ursula von der Leyen to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness as a shipping location.
At a time when the shipping industry is facing major challenges, the reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen is an important step towards securing the future of the European shipping industry, according to the VDR.
Particularly in these geopolitically difficult times, it is essential to make the shipping industry the focus of future political efforts in Europe. What is needed is a proactive European shipping policy geared towards growth and securing competitiveness, explains Gaby Bornheim, President of the VDR.
VDR against regional special approaches to climate protection
The last EU Commission’s “Green Deal” poses enormous challenges for the shipping industry with its integration into the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation. These measures require harmonised integration into the international climate protection regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Special regional approaches, on the other hand, are not practicable in the global shipping industry.
“Following the European Green Deal, we now need a European Industrial Deal in the next five years,” said Bornheim. The increasing protectionist tendencies worldwide are extremely worrying for the shipping industry, as they threaten free trade and access to international markets. The EU must, therefore, actively work to defend the principles of free trade.
The EU merchant fleet is one of the largest in the world, representing around 40% of the global merchant fleet. Over 75% of the EU’s total foreign trade is carried out by sea, including medicines, food, electronics, clothing and wind turbines. In Germany alone, around 60% of all goods are imported and exported by ship. EU shipping directly employs around 640,000 people on board and ashore. Germany is one of the leading shipping nations, with around 60,000 seafarers working on board German-owned or managed merchant ships alone.
