Tag: EU

Information by the American P&I Club The American P&I Club issues circular regarding US and EU economic sanctions in regard to Syria as follows:As Members may be aware, enhanced sanctions against Syria have recently been imposed by both the United States and the European Union.This Circular addresses developments in this area, both as they affect the interests of Members and as they affect the provision of service by the Club. Its contents are derived from advice very recently received from the Club's attorneys in Washington, DC who specialize in this importantarea of regulatory compliance.US SANCTIONS AGAINST SYRIAPresident Obama promulgated an Executive Order on August 17, 2011 which imposed new and additional US economic sanctions in regard to Syria with effect from August 18, 2011.The new sanctions block the property of the Government of Syria (and its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities). They also prohibit certain trade transactions with or involving Syria. US sanctions against Syria in existence prior to August 18, prohibiting the exportation and re-exportation of US origin products to Syria and targeting certain Syrian entities and individuals, remain in force.United States persons, and the transactions of non-United States persons which have a nexus or connection to a United ...

Aviation and maritime sectors in Europe should be subject to same emissions control The direction of a legal battle over the European Union's regulation of airlines' greenhouse-gas emissions (GHGs), which has great implications for the maritime industry, maybe revealed as soon as next month. The European Court of Justice is expected to deliver its initial findings in a case brought by US airlines against the UK Government and European Commission over the inclusion of international airlines in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) as soon as late September.The international maritime industry has a lot at stake in this case. Brussels is also formulating a proposal to regulate GHGs from all shipping in the EU in much the same way. The chances of it successfully doing so will be heavily influenced by the outcome of the aviation case in Europe's highest court.An initial ruling from the ECJ could come in September or October, although there are expectations the full course of legal action could carry over into next year, which takes beyond the date the regulation comes into force.From January 1, Brussels will bring airlines into the EU ETS and require the surrender of emissions permits for every tonne of ...

Germany plans to lobby other EU countries to allow armed guards Germany plans to lobby other European Union countries to allow the deployment of private armed guards on their merchant ships in high-risk areas as a piracy crisis escalates, ministry officials said.But analysts said the initiative was likely to face legal and practical difficulties.Somali piracy is costing the world economy billions of dollars a year, and international navies are stretched to combat the menace in the Indian Ocean due to the vast distances involved. In desperation, more shipping companies are considering deploying private armed guards on their vessels.The German government is looking into changing the country's weapons laws to allow security personnel to bear firearms on ships in high-risk areas. It could also certify those private security companies that could be used on merchant vessels, a government official said."Our goal is to develop a coordinated approach to be presented at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting in September, and EU governments are the main partners to bring on board," said Jan Gerd Becker-Schwering with the German economy ministry. "To go this alone would not be beneficial."The European Union said allowing private armed guards on merchant vessels was a decision to ...

Big ferry firms fund EU and IMO lobbying post Global ferry operators' association Interferry is opening a Brussels office with a full-time specialist for European Union and IMO activities. It says the move is a bid to boost the ferry industry's voice on maritime policy and regulations. Interferry has had consultative status at IMO since 2003.Five major European members of the worldwide trade association - Brittany Ferries, DFDS, Grimaldi Group, P&O Ferries and Stena Line - have guaranteed start-up funding for the initiative.Johan Roos, director of sustainability at Sweden's Stena group since 2006, will join Interferry as executive director of EU and IMO affairs in September, working from an office within the Brussels HQ of the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA).Interferry's Canada-based CEO Len Roueche says: "This is a landmark in our 36-year history and takes us to a new level in raising our influence on the industry's global governance. We need real input on safety and environmental issues to avoid having potentially ruinous decisions dumped on us. "He adds: "We have had some lobbying successes - such as changes to the High Speed Craft Code - through our IMO consultative status and as members of BIMCO and the International ...

The extension of emissions bans will induce shippers to move more freight by road European Union strategies to cut greenhouse gas emissions from ships will not move freight away from trucks to waterborne transport as desired, but increase truck volumes, says the European Shippers Council (ESC).Therefore, the ESC has called on the European Commission to postpone the emissions deadline for another five years to 2020 to allow refiners to boost supply of fuel and develop ship emissions removal technologies.The extension of emissions bans into the Baltic and North seas as well as the English Channel will induce shippers to move more freight by road, said the Brussels-based ESC in a statement.The ESC further predicts a loss of short-sea shipping volume as high as 30 per cent in the northern region of Europe.To be compliant, the shipping industry will need at least $ 3.6 billion-$ 15.6 billion which the European Commission claims will help reduce the $ 51-billion public health bill. But the compliance costs will be passed on to shippers, and they will shift to trucking to escape them.Despite the EU's promotion of short-sea transport and rail to take freight off the roads, ESC says shippers will stick to the ...

Designed to improve the living and working conditions The Isle of Man has entered into a new tripartite declaration designed to improve the living and working conditions of all seafarers on Isle of Man-registered ships.This formalises the important work carried out in a tripartite forum between the Isle of Man Government, the Isle of Man Shipping Association and the seafarers' representative unions, which has been in place for many years.The forum has been a key element in the continued success of the Isle of Man's Ship Registry as it demonstrates the commitment to the seafarers serving on its ships to ensure they are provided with the right living and working conditions, employment conditions and pay.The "Declaration of Principles", originally agreed and signed in 2003, has been revised to bring it up to date with international developments.Additionally, the Declaration recognises the importance of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and demonstrates how the Isle of Man is working towards its adoption. The MLC, which is expected to enter into force in 2012, will be the new standard enforced globally to cover the rights of seafarers.Minister for Economic Development, Alan Bell MHK, commented: "I am delighted that we have been able to sign ...

EU emissions trading scheme is not suitable for shipping, says trade association The UK's shipping industry has roundly rejected theEuropean Union'semissions trading scheme, defying calls for shipping to be included in the carbon reduction programme.Mark Brownrigg, theUK Chamber of Shipping's director general, told the Guardian: "The EU'semissions trading scheme will not work for shipping. It is not suitable. It is not a global system, and shipping is."He claimed that if shipping were to be included, as campaigners have called for, that ships would simply refuel instead at non-EU ports.Aviation is to be included in the emissions trading system, despite similar claims from airlines, which have said that companies would choose to land in countries outside the EU to avoid having to pay for carbon permits under the EU's system.However, theEuropean Commission held firm, and airlines will be included in the scheme. Although US airlines are disputing the legality of this decision in the courts, no airline from any country has announced plans to land flights outside the EU in preference to continuing with their current schedules.The Chamber of Shipping will publish on Wednesday discussion documents setting out how the industry could adopt different methods of carbon reduction, including emissions trading ...

Interferry is opening a Brussels office Interferry is opening a Brussels office with a full-time specialist for European Union and IMO activities in a bid to strengthen the ferry industry's voice on maritime policy and regulations.Start-up funding for the initiative has been guaranteed by five major European members of the worldwide trade association - Brittany Ferries, DFDS, Grimaldi Group, P&O Ferries and Stena Line.Johan Roos, director of sustainability at Sweden's Stena group since 2006, will join Interferry as executive director of EU and IMO affairs in September, working from an office within the Brussels HQ of the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA).Interferry's Canada-based CEO Len Roueche says: "This is a landmark in our 36-year history and takes us to a new level in raising our influence on the industry's global governance. We need real input on safety and environmental issues to avoid having potentially ruinous decisions dumped on us."We have had some lobbying successes - such as changes to the High Speed Craft Code - through our IMO consultative status and as members of BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping. However, it's been clear for some time that we required dedicated cover of the EU and the IMO in ...

Rather than an emissions trading system for shipping The International Chamber of Shipping's (ICS) chairman Spyros M Polemis has written to the European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard urging the EU to support a compensation system linked to fuel consumption, or levy, rather than an emissions trading system for shipping.World Bunkering understands that Mr Polemis underlines the importance of the recent IMO agreement to amend MARPOL Annex VI to include a package of technical measures to reduce shipping's CO2 emissions. Ms Hedegaard has already welcomed the IMO deal.Mr Polemis is believed to have stressed that the shipping industry fears there could be serious market distortion if the EU tried to press ahead with a regional scheme.ICS believes that a 20% reduction in emissions per tonne of cargo moved per kilometre is a realistic that could be met by 2020, to a large extent driven by the introduction of Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP)Earlier this year ICS's member national associations agreed that a compensation system linked to fuel consumption, in the form of a levy, is the simplest solution and best suited for the shipping industry.Mr Polemis is understood to have offered to discuss the details of how a ...

European institutions ave unlocked marine data and made them available for users Until recently engineers and scientists worldwide faced considerable difficulties in trying to access and process the huge quantities of marine data collected at considerable expense by European public institutions over the past decades.This is changing. Consortia of European institutions, set up in the framework of Marine Knowledge 2020 and financed by preparatory actions of the EU's new integrated maritime policy, have unlocked data from previously inaccessible or mutually incompatible archives and made them available for users through prototype internet portals.These data, which allow private companies, public authorities and scientists to understand what measurements are available and to download coherent data layers over complete sea-basins, are organized in 6 thematic portals. Areas covered are: hydrography, geology, chemical pollution, biological species, physical habitats and measurements of physical parameters such as temperature, wave height and current (the last one is still under development).On 7 and 8 June, 2011, these portals were examined for user-friendliness and fitness for purpose by the independent Marine Observation and Data Experts Group. The Group concluded that, although these preliminary actions did not cover all Europe's sea-basins, they have in fact delivered products that are immediately useful. ...