The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes the agreement reached, on 7 February, between the Parliament and the Council on the new regulation establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe). The new framework will enable the decrease of administrative burden and increase the attractiveness of maritime transport. It provides for the creation of a EMSWe dataset, harmonised National Single Windows and the application of the reporting-only-once principle.
The European Union on October 2018 published a draft report that focuses on the harmonisation of data elements and data sets, and supports the cooperation between customs and maritime authorities at both national and Union level.
ESPO is not the only one who support the EMSWe. Mainly, ECSA and WSC support European Maritime Single Window, commenting that simpler reporting is a major step for European Maritime Single Window.
Specifically, ESPO is in favour of:
- Ensuring that the same data sets can be reported in the same way.
European ports have as a priority to simplify administrative procedures by ensuring that the same data sets can be reported to each competent authority in the same way. Therefore, the same data sets can be reported to each National Single Window in the same way by creating a EMSWe maximum dataset.
- Asking additional data remain possible in exceptional circumstances.
According to ESPO the final text is giving the possibility to Member States to ask in the event of exceptional circumstances, for additional data, for a limited period of time, without having to ask the permission of the Commission.
- Respect for the existing reporting systems.
European ports is satisfied since the new regulation is building on the existing reporting systems, the National Single Windows and Port Community Systems (PCS).
It is of paramount importance that ports and shipping lines who are currently working with a PCS as a one-stop-shop for both the reporting formalities and all other services rendered to stakeholders in the logistics chain will be able to continue to do so in the future.
- Technological neutrality.
ESPO believes that the Commission should closely follow the latest technological developments, when providing updates to the reporting interface modules for the National Single Windows.
- Providing the National Single Windows with a governance dimension.
ESPO welcomes the new provisions in the agreement on requiring Member States to designate a competent national authority for the National Single Windows with a clear legal mandate.
