Maritime transport is at the cornerstone of an efficient distribution network because more than 90 per cent of Europe’s external trade and approximately 43 per cent of its internal trade depend directly on it. In the last few decades a booming trade has led to big increases in total tonnage of shipping and demand for skilled maritime professionals. However, although demand for maritime skills is on the increase, the number of Europeans employed in the shipping trade is in steady decline.

European seafarers are valued for high quality technical knowledge and an excellent safety reputation. This explains why a total of 46.5per cent of senior officers in the world fleet are EU nationals. In contrast only 19 per cent of junior officers come from EU member states. Currently Europeans are prized as senior officers but this will prove difficult in the near future if there are insufficient numbers of EU junior seafarers coming through the ranks.

The operational shipping industry is not the only employer of people with maritime skills. Large numbers of seafarers are required by the maritime industry: a large number of seafarers is required by maritime states in order to ensure compliance with national and international obligations, seafarers are also needed as examiners for crewing certificates within ship management companies and other types of maritime services.

The EU is committed to reforming its labour market, in order to boost employment of EU nationals. The aim of the Lisbon Strategy was to make the EU the most prosperous bloc in the world by the year 2010, aiming at trade superiority, full employment and maximisation of resources by increasing labour force flexibility and encouraging new people into the workforce. In the maritime sector work on flexibility is also supported by efforts both at an EU and an international level in an aim to improve the working conditions of the seafarers. Negotiations are ongoing at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to produce a consolidated maritime convention, which will be adopted in early 2006. On the other hand the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is looking at the human element and the effects of a quality workforce and workplace on maritime safety.

In July 2002, the Danish presidency held a conference on quality shipping, where the importance of affective standards as a means of improving safety and quality were emphasised. The conference called on flag states to take further actions to ensure their fleets complied with the relevant legislation and on employers to provide safe and decent working conditions for their employees. Under the Greek presidency (January-June 2003) the transport council adopted a set of council conclusions committing member states and the commission to take steps to increase the number of Europeans employed in the shipping industry and encouraging the industry’s social partners to create a climate conducive to greater European seafarer employment. Furthermore, under the UK presidency two meetings of national experts were held in order to discuss the issue of maritime employment. The presidency presented a first draft of the good practice guide, which gives examples of projects carried out in different EU member states which aim to improve one aspect or other of the employment situation of EU seafarers. The intention of this document is to provide examples and advice for anyone at national, regional or local level who wishes to run a project to boost maritime employment. A decision must be taken on how this document is to be published. This issue will be raised by the presidency in an EU council transport working group with the aim of agreeing on a set of council conclusions to be adopted by the Council of Ministers in December. On 5 October the UK presidency will be organising a conference (Seatrade Conference) in order to give a guide to discussions in the working group, but also to include social partners, since they will have an integral role in any successful policy.

Considering that seafaring is inherently one of the most dangerous careers available, it is not surprising that, as Europeans become more wealthier, they tend to opt for less risky occupations, vacating such opportunities for people from less developed countries. I believe that it is of great importance that Europe promotes maritime employment and has its own core of seafarers. In this sense, therefore Malta fully supports the initiative taken by the UK presidency and urges all member states to consolidate further Europe’s intentions of introducing measures that could positively reinforce, motivate and train European citizens to choose a seafaring career.

It is my view that another factor which has continued to dissuade Europeans from choosing a seafaring career is the way in which this sector has been transformed by regulation. Malta fully supports endeavours that lead to maritime safety and reduction of marine environmental pollution. However, I further believe that every effort should be made to ensure that such endeavours are effective. Only this will encourage European seafarers not to shy away from such measures and shift their focus elsewhere. Apart from a strong sense of discipline, mutual trust and loyalty between seafarers, brought about by the inherently dangerous nature of seafaring, one must keep in mind that, as one of the oldest industries in the world, the maritime sector has a legacy of self-regulation of which it is fiercely proud.

In this sense, it is our view that, with shipping being such a technical sector, any measures – be they legislative or administrative – governing it, should not just be reactive initiatives within a political agenda. This element needs to be qualified and complemented by a thorough understanding of the industry, based on dialogue with the industry professionals and on sensitivity to the industry’s needs and its evolution. Malta strongly believes this balance can be struck. As a nation with coastal state interests that are just as important as its flag state interests, Malta believes this balance can be struck and would be ready to give its contribution to any endeavours that would lead to a body of balanced legislation governing the maritime sector.

Malta has repeatedly expressed its concerns on the negative implications on recruitment and retention of EU seafarers of the recently adopted directive on criminal sanctions for ship source pollution. Although the industry has adopted stringent measures on global environmental protection there have been a number of coastal states initiatives involving the criminalisation of ship source pollution sometimes even in cases where such pollution was accidental. This situation will surely discourage young people from taking up a maritime career.

Malta welcomes the initiative taken by the UK presidency to draw up a document containing a collection of good-practice examples of projects undertaken by member states in order to promote maritime employment. It is important that the document is kept as dynamic as possible and to be made available on the internet.

Keeping in mind that the issue of maritime employment is a worldwide problem and the international nature of the maritime industry, I believe that this document should be made available and if possible should be updated in order to include the experience of all the maritime sector. Malta suggests that since the image of the maritime industry is one of the priorities of IMO, the latter should be approached in order to be custodian of this document.

Censu Galea is Competitiveness and Communications Minister