IACS re-opening of its Brussels office with the EU maritime community
The International Association of Classification Societies celebrates the re-opening of its Brussels office with the EU maritime community
Representatives from EU Institutions, European and international organisations were invited to an event organised by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) last week. The event was titled, “IACS – promoting global cooperation towards safe and environmentally sound shipping”.
The 80 guests included high-level EU Officials from DG MOVE, DG CLIMA, DG ENTR, DG MARE and DG Research as well as EMSA-European Safety Agency, Member States representatives and heads of leading maritime associations such as ECSA, SEA Europe and OCIMF. The broad spectrum of organisations represented is an indication of the desire for dialogue from all involved in the maritime sector. The end of the year event provided an excellent occasion to take stock of common achievements and outline future common challenges across all levels, be it national, regional or international.
In his welcome address to guests, IACS Chairman, Lloyd’s Register’s Tom Boardley said: “We share many objectives when it comes to the continuous enhancement of maritime safety and the environmental performance of ships. IACS and its member classification societies continuously work with all stakeholders on this challenge in order to maintain the role of shipping as the world’s biggest transport sector for cargo transport in a sustainable context driven by innovative solutions”. In his speech he touched upon emission reductions from ships, passenger ship safety and the Maritime Social Agenda.
IACS Council is meeting in London from 11-13 December and will further discuss the substance of the discussions in Brussels. Before the end of the year, some actions may be finalised, but enough work remains on the table keeping IACS and EU institutions in a dynamic dialogue. As Fotis Karamitsos, Acting Deputy Director General of DG MOVE, said in his short speech during the reception on 6th of December, meetings between the Commission and IACS in the coming year are expected to remain frequent or even gain pace due to the IACS new base in Brussels.
Source: IACS
