The Council of European and Japanese Shipowners’ Associations (CENSA) has been merged into a newly formed Shipping Policy Committee of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) effective January 1, 2002. CENSA has provided a platform for national shipowners’ associations in Europe and Japan to promote open and fair international shipping markets, and multilateral rather than unilateral regulation with regard to commercial shipping policy. The focus of CENSA activity in recent years has been U.S. shipping policy questions and discussions within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) relevant to the smooth functioning of global maritime trade.