Denmark's New User-friendly Maritime Authority

Each shipowner is connected with a permanent team of ship surveyors with in-depth knowledge of that company & its special needs.

The arrangement was established on the basis of a request from the industry and has since May 2012 been running as an experiment. But due to the positive evaluations, the Danish Maritime Authority decided to make the arrangement permanent. In addition to offering shipowners improved and more efficient service, the intention is to make it easier for new shipowners to set up business in Denmark or to transfer ships to the Danish flag.

This arrangement makes it easier to be a shipowner in Denmark, and it also makes my work involving regular contact with the authorities easier. There is no unnecessary waiting time and the processes run smoothly. I think that it’s a fine initiative”, says General Manager, SQE Robert Degn Nielsen from the Torm company.

Ship surveyors from the Danish Maritime Authority who have been involved are also positive and can see the potential of the new structure.

”The arrangement has promoted the dialogue with the shipowners, and it gives us a chance of getting into more detail with the challenges that there may be. Also as an expert it is very satisfactory to experience that we can solve much up-front”, says Ship Surveyor Jette Bloch Arrias from the Danish Maritime Authority, who is one of the surveyors who have been part of the experiment.

Robert Degn Nielsen also stresses that the arrangement is a great advantage to shipowners with offices in several countries since sometimes surveyors in other countries have difficulties finding the right contact. The arrangement ensures that someone from the PoC group will always revert quickly.