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Council Of Ministers News

31 Aug 2020

Beirut Port Explosion: Death Toll Rises to 190

(UN Photo/Pasqual Gorriz)

The death toll from this month's Beirut port blast has risen to 190 with more than 6,500 injured and three people missing, Lebanon's caretaker government said in a report dated Sunday.Lebanese authorities are probing what caused highly explosive material stored unsafely for years to detonate in a mushroom cloud, wrecking swathes of the city and fuelling anger at a political class already blamed for the country's economic meltdown.The army said on Saturday that seven people were still missing - three Lebanese, three Syrians and one Egyptian.

01 Mar 2020

Poland Preps Wind Energy Agreement

The Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) and the Polish Offshore Wind Energy Society (PTMEW) have announced plans to form a cooperation agreement for offshore wind energy in Poland modeled on the UK's Offshore Wind Sector Deal concluded in March 2019.The bodies together with their Members established cooperation in order to elaborate multilateral 'Declaration of Cooperation for Polish Offshore Wind Energy Sector Development' to be signed by three parties: government/administration, OWF investors and supply chain.The draft declaration is inspired by British 'Offshore Wind Sector Deal' signed in March 2019. Final project is to be elaborated till the end of June 2020.Meanwhile…

17 Nov 2019

EIB Ends Financing for Fossil Fuel

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU's financing department, will bar funding for most fossil fuel projects to become the world’s first ‘“climate bank”.The bank will end its financing of oil, gas, and coal projects after 2021, and will accelerate clean energy innovation, energy efficiency and renewables. EIB Group financing will unlock EUR 1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainable investment in the decade to 2030, it said.Over the last five years the European Investment Bank has provided more than EUR 65 billion of financing for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy distribution.“Climate is the top issue on the political agenda of our time,” said EIB President Werner Hoyer.

21 Nov 2018

Shell Australia Agrees to Sell Stake in Natural Gas Fields to Timor-Leste

Royal Dutch Shell's  Shell Australia said Wednesday it entered into a sales agreement with Timor-Leste to sell the government a 26.56% interest in the Greater Sunrise fields for $300 million.The Greater Sunrise fields, comprised of the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields, are located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Timor-Leste and 450 kilometers (279 miles) northwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Shell said in a statement.Timor-Leste's Special Representative Xanana Gusmão stated that "Timor-Leste appreciates Shell's willingness to sell its interests in the Greater Sunrise project".Gusmão recalled that…

19 Nov 2018

EC Selects Enagás Initiative to Boost LNG

The ‘LNGHIVE2: Infrastructure and Logistics Solutions’ project, coordinated by Enagás, has been selected by the European Commission ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF) for funding.The initiative aims to boost the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel for maritime and rail transport. The total investment in the project will be around EUR14 million, of which close to EUR3 million will be financed by European funds.The initiative, coordinated by Enagás and promoted by Puertos Del Eastado, features the participation of six other partners: the Port Authority of Huelva, RENFE Mercancías, ADIF, Saggas, Marflet Marine, and the Valenciaport…

31 Oct 2018

EU to Legislate on Maritime Working Conditions

In the future, seafarers would be subject to the rules set out in the Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions if it were up to the European Parliament.According to Danish Shipping, a trade and employer organisation for more than 90 shipowners and offshore companies, this means that additional financial and administrative burdens are to be expected for the maritime industry which is already heavily regulated and protected by international conventions.Since the European Commission presented its proposal for a directive on "Transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union", the Working Conditions Directive…

01 Jun 2018

Denmark Transfers ArcticWeb to Norway

Š Don Landwehrle / Adobe Stock

Effective today, Denmark will transfer to Norway responsibility for the ArcticWeb, a web-based platform designed to improve navigational safety in the Arctic.The Norwegian Coastal Administration will take over the ownership and operation of ArcticWeb, while the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) will continue as data-provider and advisory board member.The free-to-use ArcticWeb platform has been in operation since 2014 as a joint regional project primarily funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and lead by the DMA.

22 Dec 2017

Antwerp to Manage Port of Cotonou

Port of Antwerp International (PAI), the consultancy and investment subsidiary of Antwerp Port Authority, has been appointed by the Council of Ministers of the West African country of Benin to modernise the port of Cotonou. This port is the economic heart of Benin, handling an annual freight volume of around 12 million tonnes. In the longer term, the port authority wants the port to grow further, but both the infrastructure and the organization are outdated. The government therefore decided to temporarily outsource the management of the port. “We are delighted that the Benin government has opted for the expertise and knowhow of Antwerp,” says port alderman Marc Van Peel, who is also chairman of PAI.

26 Nov 2017

German Shipowners Welcome EU Commitment to Global Regulation

The German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) welcomes the commitment of the EU Member States to the global climate protection strategy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). VDR President Alfred Hartmann: “Our ships operate on the entire world's oceans; therefore, a global solution to reduce CO2 emissions is the only way to go. German shipowners are fully committed to the objective of the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to below 2°C. The EU Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the Estonian Council Presidency have agreed not to include maritime shipping in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) but to rely on the IMO’s global climate protection strategy.

22 Nov 2017

European Shipowners Welcome CO2 Emissions Trading System

Intensive negotiations came to an end two weeks ago when the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission reached a provisional agreement on the reform of the emissions trading system, which today was approved by the Member States. “European shipowners have a strong interest to decarbonise the industry and we think it is the right decision that the EU will leave regulation of shipping’s CO2 emissions to the International Maritime Organization”, commented Martin Dorsman,  European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA)’s Secretary General. “The IMO is currently busy drawing up its strategy for reducing CO2 emissions from the international shipping. IMO is the organisation to regulate our global industry”, he concluded.

23 Jan 2017

EU Council Adopts Port Reform

On 23 January, the Council of Ministers adopted the Port Regulation, which concludes the procedure at first reading. The European Parliament voted on 14 December 2016. The legal act will be signed by both institutions in mid-February and published in the EU Official Journal a few weeks later. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication. The principles set out in the Regulation will apply 2 years after the entry into force. This means that by March 2019 these rules will have to be applied in all TEN-T ports of the European Union. The regulation will make it easier for new providers of certain port services to enter the market. It will create a more level playing field and reduce legal uncertainties for ports, port service providers and investors.

17 Jan 2017

European Shipping Week Speaker Announced

Anthony Luzzatto Gardner, former US Ambassador to the European Union and Visiting Fellow at the College of Europe, will be the guest speaker at the European Shipping Week Gala Dinner, to be held on Wednesday 1st March 2017 at the Steigenberger Wiltcher Hotel in Brussels. Ambassador Gardner, who has dedicated more than 20 years of his career to US-European affairs, will speak on the important subject of ‘US-EU Relations: Looking Back, Looking Forward’. Welcoming the news, Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and Chairman of the European Shipping Week Steering Group, said his speech would be very insightful considering the political developments which have taken place in Europe and the US over recent months.

18 Oct 2016

European Shipping Week Receives EU Patronage

European Shipping Week has been granted the European Parliament’s official patronage by its President, Mr Martin Schultz. Commenting on European Shipping Week, Mr Schultz said his institution appreciated the opportunity for open dialogue between policy makers and representatives of the shipping industry to debate the future of European shipping policy. In a letter to Niels Smedegaard, President of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Mr Schulz said: “As you are aware, the transport sector is the driving force of the EU economy, and Europe is a world leader in both manufacturing and transport operations. Welcoming the European Parliament’s patronage…

24 Apr 2015

Cyprus Cabinet Okays Ports Privatisation Framework

Cyprus is pushing ahead with the privatisation of its ports as part of the nation’s rehabilitation plans which will see a number of state-run entities turned over to the private sector. The Council of Ministers approved amendments to the legal framework governing the operation of the Cyprus Ports Authority. The legislative plan is now set to be handed to parliament where MPs will be tasked with reviewing the bill at committee level before passing it through for a vote. The plan reportedly outlines that the overall operations of the ports should be take on by a private company although the actual bricks and mortar of ports will still be under the umbrella of the Cyprus Ports Authority.

27 Mar 2015

Qatar Hikes Container Storage & Clearance Charges

Changes to sea port charges have been implemented in Qatar, as per the decision of the country's Council of Ministers. 20' containers (clear in approx. - Time starts from when container arrives in the port yard. - First three days the port storage (including the day it arrived) will be free. - Day 4, 5 & 6, port charges QAR 60 (US$ 16.50) per day. - Daily charge of QAR 120 (US$ 33) from 7th day onwards. 40' containers (clear in approx. - As above, but from 4th day, prices are double. - Day 4, 5 & 6, port charges QAR 120 (US$ 33.00) per day. - Daily charge of QAR 240 (US$ 66) from 7th day onwards. LCL Shipments/Groupage (clear in approx.

28 Nov 2014

EU Regs on Ship CO2 Reporting Complicates IMO Agreement

Peter Hinchliffe, ICS Secretary General

ICS Concerned that EU will Preempt IMO CO2 Negotiations. The global trade association for shipowners – the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) – is disappointed and concerned that the European Union is about to pre-empt negotiations taking place at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the collection of data on CO2 emissions from ships, by unilaterally adopting a regional Regulation which will apply to non-EU flag vessels, as well as ships registered in the EU.

28 Nov 2014

EU Regulation on CO2 Reporting a Setback for ICS Efforts

place at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the collection of data on CO2 emissions from ships, by unilaterally adopting a regional Regulation which will apply to non-EU flag vessels, as well as ships registered in the EU. The Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the European Commission are understood to have reached agreement on the text of an EU Regulation on the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of ships’ CO2 emissions, for formal adoption early next year. imminent adoption of a regional EU regime, which may not be compatible with whatever is agreed at IMO, will certainly complicate and perhaps jeopardise these delicate negotiations. additional CO2 regulations are a politically sensitive issue.

17 Jun 2014

Costa Concordia Salvage Update

Photo courtesy of The Parbuckling Project

The Italian Council of Ministers, upon proposal from the Commissioner for the Concordia Emergency, has established June 26 (instead of June 16, as previously decided) as the date for the conclusion of the decision-making meeting of the "Conferenza dei Servizi", the committee composed of representatives of all competent authorities that will evaluate projects for the transportation of the Concordia wreck to an appropriate port for dismantling. In the meantime at Giglio Island, more than 370 technicians are working 24/7 to complete the sponsons installation phase.

26 Jun 2014

Concordia Wreck Preparing for Tow to Genoa

In three weeks, the Costa Concordia wreck will be towed to Genoa for demolition and recycling. (Photo courtesy of the Parbuckling Project)

In three weeks, the Costa Concordia wreck will be towed to Genoa for demolition and recycling. At the end of the Conferenza dei Servizi meeting held yesterday, June 25, in Rome, Costa Crociere reaffirmed the motivations for the choice of the transportation of the Concordia wreck in Genoa for its dismantling and recycling, stating Genoa is the only Italian port in which demolition and recycling activities can start immediately and count on the best possible technologies and environmental safety standards.

02 Aug 2014

Gazprom Tightening Links with Bosnia & Herzegovina

Led by Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee the Company's delegation paid a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina today. As part of the visit, meetings were held with the Government officials, namely Bakir Izetbegovic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljko Komsic, Member of the Presidency, Vjekoslav Bevanda, Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and Zlatko Lagumdzija, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers – Minister of Foreign Affairs. Alexander Medvedev also held talks with Boris Tucic, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Co-President of the Russian-Bosnian Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

18 Sep 2014

Two Prestigious Awards for Fincantieri

In the presence of the Minister for Education, University, and Research Stefania Giannini, at the Auditorium at Villa Farnesina in Rome, Fincantieri, represented by its Chairman Vincenzo Petrone, today won one of the prizes in the Major Industrial Groups category during the National Award for Innovation ceremony. The prestigious prize was awarded to Fincantieri for promoting an innovation culture among youngsters and for having won the Andrea Pininfarina Award for Business Innovation, assigned by Confindustria. Now in its sixth year, the National Award for Innovation, better known as the “Prize of Prizes for Innovation”, is the most important award dedicated to “Made in Italy” innovations.

16 Oct 2014

European Commission VP Welcomes European Shipping Week

Siim Kallas

In a letter to Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Commissioner Kallas said there was no doubt that Europe needs a high quality shipping sector "that can compete around the world." Maritime transport is a cornerstone of European industry, he said, playing an essential role in Europe's economy. He added, "The European Shipping Week should be an opportunity to demonstrate that regulators and industry share the same objective of promoting quality…

28 Oct 2014

European Parliament Backs European Shipping Week

Martin Schulz (Photo: European Parliament)

European Shipping Week has been granted the European Parliament’s official patronage by its President, Martin Schulz. Both the European Commission and the European Parliament have now actively expressed their support for the week-long event which will be held in Brussels during March 2-6, 2015. Commenting on European Shipping Week, Schulz said, “The aim of the initiative, namely to bring together the leading members of the shipping industry of the EU and give them an opportunity to meet, debate and share experiences is welcomed by the European Parliament.