The BIMCO President, Mr. Anastasios Papagiannopoulos, and ECSA President, Mr. Panos Laskarides, met in Athens recently to discuss areas of cooperation and further alignment between the two leading associations representing shipowners globally and in Europe, respectively.
ECSA and BIMCO have supported each other in the past but there is a desire by both associations to further improve and deepen our cooperation,
…stated Mr. Panos Laskaridis.
As informed, the parties discussed key issues concerning the current shipping industry, such as environmental legislation, both at the European and international level, including CO2 emissions from shipping and the IMO sulphur cap to be effective from January 2020.
We also discussed the worrying developments in world trade in addition to the very topical issue of migration and merchant ships’ involvement in rescuing operations.
On his part, Mr. Anastasios Papagiannopoulos, noted:
It is crucial that the shipping industry speaks with one voice at European and global level. That’s why an even closer relationship between BIMCO and ECSA is in the interest of both organisations. The strengths and capabilities of both organisations need to be combined in policy discussions that will steer the future of the shipping industry. When discussing the short, medium and long-term measures to reduce the GHG emissions from international shipping, industry has to be united.
BIMCO is the world’s largest international shipping association, with around 2,000 members in more than 120 countries. ECSA is a trade association representing the national shipowners’ associations of the EU and Norway, controlling 40% of the global commercial fleet.
