War has underscored shipping’s importance, union president says

Successive crises person exposed the unit connected the shipping manufacture from geopolitical and governmental developments, Melina Travlos, the president of the Union of Greek Shipowners, said connected Thursday.

“It took the Russia-Ukraine war for Europe to admit its dependence connected shipping, a assemblage it has treated very unfairly – if not punitively,” said Travlos, speaking to Kathimerini Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas astatine the “Εnergy Transition Summit: East Med & Southeast Europe,” organized by Financial Times Live successful concern with Kathimerini. 

“Shipping has been instrumentalized,” she said, adding that “Europe has ne'er understood” the sector’s value due to the fact that “it simply doesn’t bring successful votes.”

Referring specifically to EU unit for the industry’s decarbonization, Travlos described the Commission’s targets arsenic “overly ambitious” and “untenable,” saying the argumentation “punishes” a assemblage that is not among the top contributors to planetary CO2 emissions.

The unit connected Greek shipping is peculiarly acute, she said, arsenic it correspond 61% of Europe’s fleet, which, successful turn, represents 35% of planetary shipping.

On the subject of tariffs and sanctions, Travlos warned that “unilateral decisions” efficaciously load citizens. “Shipping ever finds a way to marque up for it – caller markets, passing connected the cost.”

“Our ships sail and our ships will proceed to sail,” she said.

Asked to remark connected reports indicating the engagement of Greek shipping companies successful so-called “dark fleet” activities aimed astatine bypassing Russian lipid sanctions, Travlos dismissed the accusations arsenic “unfair.”

“The shadiness fleet is simply a menace to Greek shipping,” she said.

Then why is Greek shipping successful the spotlight? “Because it’s arsenic large arsenic it is,” she said.

She did, however, concede that Greek ships that person been sold connected to different owners whitethorn beryllium used to transport Russian oil, but noted that the sanctions against Russia person been unilateral and passed by a fistful of countries. “The remainder of the world has not imposed sanctions,” she said.

Asked astir the aboriginal of Greek shipping, Travlos besides said attracting younger workers to the assemblage remained a cardinal priority, peculiarly for seafaring positions.

To that end, the Union of Greek Shipowners has launched a assistance programme for 365 young radical pursuing maritime careers.

“Youngsters request to understand that the assemblage has changed,” she said. “The ships are practically similar cruise ships… And the wage is very bully and very fast.”