THE MARITIME Cyprus 2003 conference opened to an auspicious start yesterday with over 600 movers and shakers from around the shipping world joining top brass maritime delegates in Limassol to discuss the future of world shipping.
Vice President of the European Commission (EC) and Transport and Energy Commissioner Loyola De Palacio was billed to address the conference but had to pull out last minute, sending instead the EC deputy head of the Maritime Policy Unit, Jacques Michaux.
In her speech read by Michaux, De Palacio warned that from May 2004, Cyprus would have to intensify its efforts to harmonise its fleet with EU standards. She said that Cyprus’ accession to the EU would increase the union’s share in international shipping as well as the position it holds in the sector.
The Transport Commissioner pointed out the EU’s target was to have a significant high quality fleet which respects safety, labour conditions and the environment. The EU gives top priority to fleet inspections, she said, adding new measures would be adopted to meet this aim, including increased compensation for maritime pollution and raising penalties for problematic ships.
Communications and Works Minister Kikis Kazamias opened the 8th maritime conference entitled ‘Widening Shipping Horizons’ highlighting that Cyprus would contribute to the EU in terms of shipping know-how and become a new influential community partner within the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the EU maritime safety policy in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Cyprus’ decision to join the EU has positively affected the strategic planning and priorities in its shipping sector, a sector with a complete infrastructure which constitutes an invaluable asset, both for the new expanded Europe and for the international shipping community in general,” Kazamias told the Conference.
President of the Cyprus Shipping Council (CSC), Andreas Droussiotis, said claims that Cyprus was a ‘flag of convenience’ could no longer be substantiated since the Cyprus Maritime Administration adopted a tougher policy on ships, leading to suspension and even deletion of ships from the Register. The computerisation of the Shipping Department will make the Cyprus Registry one of the most technologically advanced registries worldwide, informed Droussiotis, while the implementation of Independent Surveyors worldwide has led to a noticeable decrease in the detention rate of Cyprus flag ships.
He predicted that Cyprus would be completely off the Paris MOU Black list in the very near future.
The CSC president boasted that “Cyprus today constitutes the sixth largest shipping fleet globally, and more particularly, Limassol, is considered by many to be the largest third-party ship management centre in the world”.
Cyprus accession to the EU translates into the small Mediterranean island constituting 25 per cent of the whole EU fleet, which in turn, “will offer a lot more ‘political clout’ to the EU as an important regional shipping entity,” said Droussiotis.
“With the closing of the Shipping Chapter, the future of Cyprus shipping is very promising, both in terms of more ships expected to be registered under the Cyprus flag, and more shipping companies setting up business in Cyprus, thus making us a major shipping power within the European Union,” he added.
The CSC today comprises 150 member companies, with a fleet in excess of 1,600 ocean-going vessels of 29 million gross tons. “By the shear size of its fleet, the Cyprus Shipping Council is considered, therefore, to be one of the largest national shipping associations in the world,” said Droussiotis.
He concluded the high number of participants from around the world that attended the conference made it a ‘must’ in the international shipping calendar.
