As EU's leading maritime nations Greece and Malta share common perspectives on shipping and will build further collaboration, the Greek Minister of Shipping, Maritime Affairs and the Aegean Miltiadis Varvitsiotis told this paper in an interview.

The minister accompanied the Greek president Karolas Papoulias during his state visit to Malta last week and held talks with Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Dr Edward Zammit Lewis, as well as with the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Joe Mizzi.

With a strong growing registered tonnage, reaching 51.8 million tons at the end of 2013, Malta is EU's leading ship owning nation and the seventh largest in the world followed by Greece – whose registrations declined to 43 million tons grt in 2012.

Refusing to make a direct comment on the widely held view in Maltese ship owning circles that the majority of ships on Malta's shipping register are Greek-owned, Mr Varvitsiotis stated that “shipping as a globalised industry is dominated by a spirit of competitiveness. Consequently, ship-owners entrust their vessels to the flag that will provide them with a competitive advantage and will guarantee their leading role in the shipping industry. Having said that, I have repeatedly encouraged Greek ship-owners to support the Greek flag. (According to the minister's statement to the European Parliament on 21 January, the Greek-owned fleet under EU flags accounts for 42.72% of EU deadweight tonnage, Greek owners control 23.55% of the world crude oil tanker fleet, 17.20% of the world bulk carrier fleet and 12.51% of the world chemical and product carrier’s fleet.)

“As a seaborne nation we must listen to the concerns of our seafarers and further utilise their expertise. Indeed we would like to bring more vessels under the Greek flag, but we shall not oblige anyone to do so.”

”Greece and Malta can jointly advocate a variety of maritime issues on the European agenda. The Greek Presidency of the Council of Europe provides a great opportunity to highlight such issues. A common priority of paramount importance is to preserve the competitiveness of the European shipping industry. This means that proposals for European policies of a bureaucratic nature and for the establishment of a tax regime affecting the European shipping industry must be excluded.”

Europe should be the leading force on environmental issues effecting shipping adopting rules with global appeal, according to the minister. The establishment of two radically different standards resulting in unequal competition must be avoided: the European standard, observing the relevant environmental rules and policies and the Asian one, abstaining from such compliance.

Closer and more constructive cooperation with the International Maritime Organisation was also needed, targeting policies oriented towards a global rather than a regional maritime environment. Simultaneously Greece would promote the protection of the marine environment and the overall effort to reduce polluting emissions from shipping.

“Greece will be hosting an Informal EU Maritime Ministerial meeting on 7 May,” the minister indicated. “Although certain progress has been achieved since 2009 in all priority areas of the EU Maritime Transport Strategy to 2018, current global market trends and conditions, emerging demand for efficient and sustainable maritime transport services as part of integrated supply chains and eventual needs in the field of safety and security for current and new shipping routes need to be addressed within the context of a mid-term review.”

“The aim is to identify remaining gaps and/or potential fields for concrete future actions. The key priorities for the Hellenic Presidency for this review are European shipping in globalised markets; competitiveness; the human element; environmental performance, maritime transport Safety and security; EU collaboration in international organisations and the EU Single Market for Maritime Transport.”

“Our goal for the meeting is the adoption of a Declaration of the EU Maritime Transport whereby ministers give their strategic vision of EU shipping for the years to come.”

“As regards European ports,” the minister continued, “they must be seen as centres attracting development and as transit zones for global trade thus fostering growth in European societies. It is important to invest in the European ports in order to modernise them and harmonise them with the standards of modern shipping. Bearing this in mind, the Greek Presidency is promoting the proposal for a European Regulation establishing a framework for market access to port services and the financial transparency of ports.”

“Safety of navigation is another key concern affecting both seafarers and the marine environment. The enhancement of the implementation mechanisms and control of requirements for marine equipment, the simplification of the relevant regulatory environment as well as the assurance that the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation will be implemented in a harmonised manner by the member states, are factors of major importance.”

“So the proposed Directive on Marine Equipment is a priority for the Greek Presidency. Most recently our Presidency presented compromise proposals on all the outstanding issues between the EU co-legislators, the Council and the European Parliament. Striking a balanced negotiating approach, these have been largely accepted by the two institutions: we believe that the adoption of the Marine Equipment Directive can now be considered as an achievable goal.”

Greece sees the need for a further push on the EU Motorways of the Sea and Short Sea Shipping initiative – two of them covering the Eastern and Western Mediterranean – with Malta involved in both. “The initiative constitutes the maritime dimension of the Trans-European Transport network and continuous financial support is essential in order to achieve its full potential and thus a true European maritime transport space without barriers.”

“The EU is highly dependent on maritime transport for its trade with the rest of the world but within the internal market, shipping is not used to its full potential mainly due to administrative burdens, especially in the field of customs. Even though simplified rules for maritime transport have already been introduced by EU legislation, vessels travelling between EU ports still encounter a significant number of complex procedures involving costs and delays that can make maritime transport less attractive for the transport of goods in the EU internal market.”

“The overall aim should be to facilitate maritime transport flows and eliminate subjecting EU goods transported between EU seaports to administrative and customs formalities that apply to goods arriving from overseas ports so as to give an impetus to intra-EU maritime transport, comparable to that of other modes of transport (air, rail, and road).”

Greece strongly supports the development of maritime tourism and sees it as a key field for future co-operation with Malta. “This sector could generate revenue and create employment at a European level, currently facing great unemployment rates among the younger generation. The southern European countries with their characteristic sea treasures and the unique beauty of their islands could invest in maritime tourism and gain great benefits for their future development.”

“The Greek Presidency sees insularity as a key European policy to overcome the isolation of islands facing transportation issues and under-development. Greece and Malta could and shall cooperate in this field and call for a European financial framework for the development and interconnection of the islands to the mainland.”