Transport Committee News

With the current international efforts to contain the spread of COVID19, travel restrictions are in place globally. However, ASA has determined that it is not an obstacle to have Yuichi Sonoda picked up his role as ASA newly appointed Sec-Gen with effect from May 1, 2020. This is a role he is thoroughly familiar with. As he had served as ASA Sec-Gen during the period between 2010 to 2014, he was instrumental in numerous initiatives and conferences.Involving in the work of ASA since its inception in 1992, (known then as Asian Shipowners’ Forum : ASF) Yuchi Sonoda had been tirelessly supporting and promoting ASA's vision and missions. In 1996, he was appointed as the Secretary of Shipping Economics Review Committee (SERC), one of the five Standing Committees of ASF.

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)  and the World Shipping Council (WSC) welcome the adoption of a General Approach on the proposal for a European Maritime Single Window environment by Transport Ministers.European co-legislators have been working intensively to reduce the administrative burden shipping faces. This burden stems from today’s unharmonised and inefficient reporting obligations and mechanisms within the EU."ECSA and WSC are pleased with the progress being made in both Council and European Parliament towards the establishment of a European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe)," said a press note from ECSA.Martin Dorsman…

The European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism and the Industry Committee jointly adopted the Marinescu- Telička- Virrkkunen report on the Connecting Europe Facility proposal (CEF) 2021-2027.The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes the demand for an increased budget for transport. Members of the committees voted to raise the general envelope of the CEF transport budget by €7bn to €33.51bn (USD 7.94 bln to USD 38 bln) in constant prices.The significant role of transport for the development of the Union had been equally recognised by the Parliament’s request for a higher CEF transport budget during the vote on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).ESPO particularly appreciates the recognition of the cross-border potential of port projects.

The Port of Rotterdam has emphasized the reinforcement of the polluter pays principle in the run-up to trilogue negotiations on the Port Reception Facilities Directive.Last month, on October the 9th, the Transport Committee of the European Parliament adopted the Meissner report on the Port Reception Facilities and gave a mandate to the Rapporteur to start negotiations with the Council to finalize the text of the new law.In the run-up to these negotiations, the Port of Rotterdam supports the view that minimization of waste discharges in the sea benefits from an effective and efficient legislative framework with incentive structures that promote the delivery of ship-generated waste.In that context…

The European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism has recently published the draft report on the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment.The rapporteur, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Deirdre Clune of European People's Party (EPP)-Ireland rightly focuses in her draft report on the harmonisation of data elements and data sets, advocates the cooperation between customs and maritime authorities at both national and Union level and recognises that, even with a fully harmonised data set, competent authorities might for some reasons require additional data.The draft report moreover states that Member states should allow the use of port community systems…

The European Parliament's draft report on the revision of the Directive on Reporting Formalities reaches out to shipping companies but does not succeed in addressing the serious administrative burdens on reporting requirements for ships.Danish Shipping believes that further harmonisation of data format and systems is required.The European Parliament's rapporteur in the Transport Committee, Irish Deirdre Clune, announced her draft report on the revision of the Directive on Reporting Formalities from 2010 which is currently being negotiated in the EU.The report is the European Parliament's first response to the European Commission's original proposal from May earlier this year.

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament adopted earlier this week the final report on the Port Reception Facilities and gave a mandate to the Rapporteur Ms Gesine Meissner to start negotiations with the Council and the EU Commission to finalise the text of the new directive.The European Community of Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) supports the polluter pays principle in return for the safe and environmentally sound management of the ship generated waste. Ships will be allowed to deliver all garbage when paying a fixed waste fee, without port-specific limitations towards the volumes delivered.“This will guarantee that ports keep investing in the needed infrastructure, additional capacity and technological developments” says Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s Secretary-General.

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament adopted the Meissner report on the Port Reception Facilities and gave a mandate to the Rapporteur to start negotiations with the Council to finalise the text of the new law.The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes in particular the proposal to strengthen the ‘polluter pays’ principle by discouraging the delivery of unreasonable quantities of garbage, including dangerous waste, for a fixed fee.This proposal will better protect marine environment by increasing the quantities of waste delivered at ports. It aims to make sure that ships deliver their garbage at every port call…

The Transport committee of the European Parliament supported yesterday the removal of tax barriers for the uptake of shore-side electricity supply (OPS) in ports for ships at berth.The Ertug report on the deployment of infrastructure for alternative fuels in the EU which was voted by the Transport committee, pointed out that taxation has a major impact on the price competitiveness of alternative fuels and underlined that disparities in energy taxation for shore-side supply for ships should be addressed.European ports welcome the vote in the Parliament and believe that energy taxation on electricity has been a significant barrier for the uptake of shore-side electricity for ships…

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment, stated a ESPO Secretariat.For European ports though, reducing the administrative burden in maritime transport and facilitating trade is a top priority. ESPO wants more ambition on the harmonisation of data definitions and data sets, while maintaining the existing reporting systems, it said in a press release.This would further reduce the administrative burden and would facilitate trade. This is the guiding principle of ESPO’s position paper in response to the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment which was published on 17 May.For European ports…

The European shipowners together with MEP Wim Van de Camp yesterday organised a seminar in the European Parliament to discuss the International Maritime Organization (IMO) initial Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategy for shipping. The initial strategy was adopted in the 72nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the IMO in April this year, said a release from  European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA). Van de Camp opened the well-attended event and said: “Today I have invited you here to discuss the efforts of the international shipping industry to reduce its GHG emissions. It’s important that the Transport committee pays attention to the international shipping sector’s goals”.

The Transport Committee (TRAN) of the European Parliament voted its opinion on the Multi-Annual financial Framework after 2020 (Marinescu report). The Transport MEPs voted in favour of an updated and more effective Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). They have asked for an increased financing to cover all transport modes. They have further stressed that the investment in Transport infrastructure is an investment in long-term growth and jobs. When it comes to ports, the European Parliament’s transport committee recalls that ports function as gateways to trade, energy nodes and industry clusters and therefore underline the position of ports in the European transport network.

On January 19-20, 2017 Novorossiysk Shipping Company (Novoship), a subsidiary of SCF Group, hosted special events dedicated to the company’s 50th anniversary. The anniversary ceremony was attended by Victor Olersky, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot); Alexey Kondratenko, Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Evgeniy Moskvichev, Chairman of the State Duma Transport Committee; Alexey Klyavin, President of the Russian Chamber of Shipping; Yury Sukhorukov, President of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia, and Sergey Frank, President & CEO of PAO Sovcomflot. Novorossiysk Shipping Company was officially established on January 20, 1967.

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), which met at the Organization's London headquarters for its 94th session, from November 17-21, 2014, approved draft SOLAS amendments to make mandatory the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low- flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code); adopted other SOLAS amendments; continued its work on its action plan on passenger ship safety; and approved and adopted a number of items put forward by the subcommittees. The MSC also adopted the Polar Code and related amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to make it mandatory.

The Department for Transport (DofT) must become a keener advocate for UK ports, urges the Transport Committee, in a new report looking at policy for improving road and rail access to ports. “The Department has brought forward a new high-level strategy on ports, but ministers must now provide more detail about how it will be implemented to prioritise the removal of constraints to port development caused by inadequate transport infrastructure. “Transport links – especially roads and rail – are crucial to the economic prosperity of our major ports.

Government shipping policy is set to come under intense scrutiny as The House of Commons Transport Committee calls for evidence on the government’s strategy for the maritime sector. The committee will take oral evidence in September, coinciding with London International Shipping Week. Meanwhile, Shipping Minister Stephen Hammond has stressed the importance of Britain’s growing shipping industry, who praises the vital economic contribution made by the UK shipping industry, worth GBP14-billion per year, and recognises the continued role of the UK as a leading maritime centre.

"We endorse the Government’s support for the more stringent regulation of sulphur emissions contained within the revised Annex VI because it will markedly improve air quality and deliver significant health and environmental benefits. These regulations were agreed on a worldwide basis through the International Maritime Organisation after several years of discussion. We believe that it's not appropriate for the Commission to go further than these globally-agreed limits by imposing tighter regulations on shipping operators at this time.

Safety of passenger ships – Costa Concordia accident and Commission review of safety legislation. Vice-President Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Transport has asked that the currently ongoing review of EU passenger ship safety legislation take fully into account any lessons to be learnt from the Costa Concordia tragedy. The review will prioritise, in particular, the issues of: design and stability of passenger ships, technological developments in the sector, crew training and safe operation, including emergency evacuation procedures.

“NOL is deeply saddened by the loss of Mr. Lua Cheng Eng. Mr. Lua was the CEO of NOL Group for 20 years from 1979 through 1999. He built up NOL from a small shipping line to a major carrier with 120 ships. NOL Chairman Cheng Wai Keung said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family and friends of Mr. Lua. The NOL Group is today the fifth-largest container shipping company in the world. We could not have achieved this position without Mr. Lua’s bold vision and years of contributions to the enterprise. Group CEO Ron Widdows recalled Mr. Lua as a highly respected shipping leader. “Among many other affiliations, he was the President of the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the Singapore Shipping Association…

The Transport Committee voted on the draft report tabled by Philip Bradbourn (EPP-ED, UK) on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network. Following the report last year on these guidelines by the High Level Group under Karel Van Miert, the Commission submitted to Parliament an amended proposal, adding nine new projects to those already adopted by the EP at its initial first reading. MEPs warmly backed the introduction of "motorways of the sea" to launch new regular transnational cargo shipping lines. These routes are intended to improve links with islands and enable goods traffic to avoid natural barriers such as the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Bipartisan legislation that authorizes approximately $8 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard in Fiscal Year 2005, including $1.1 billion for the agency’s efforts to modernize its operational assets (Deepwater Project), was approved today by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (H.R. * Rep. * Rep. * Rep. * Rep. * Rep. The bill was unanimously approved without amendment. The Senate recently passed H.R. 2443, the Committee’s FY 2004 Coast Guard Authorization legislation which the House passed last November. The Senate amended H.R. 2443 to include an FY 2005 authorization. Committee Members expect a conference on H.R. 2443 to begin soon and will work to include today’s legislation in the final Coast Guard package.

Following the European elections of June 2004, the newly elected European Parliament held its first plenary session from 20 to 22 July. During this session, MEPs formally approved the nomination by the European Council of Portugal's Jose Manuel Durao Barrosso as Romano Prodi's successor as European Commission President. The key institutional change on the maritime front is that the former "RETT" Committee of the European Parliament ("Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism) has been split into two separate committees, Transport and Tourism on the one hand, and Regional Policy on the other. This is a positive development for the shipping industry as one can expect members of the new Transport and Tourism Committee to be more specialised and focused on transport issues.

The Transport Committee believes that continued financial inaction on the transport infrastructure may put economic growth at risk. In a report adopted, it calls on the Commission to table proposals on possible new and alternative ways of financing, in particular, the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). Since the priority investments have been slower than expected, key projects should now be selected for their financial feasibility. In Etelka Barsy-Partaki's (EPP-ED, HU) own-initiative report on the mid-term review of the Commission's 2001 Transport White Paper, there was general support for the Commission's stance, but MEPs in…