From June 6th to 9th, Europeans are going to head to the polls in order to elect the parliamentarians who will go on to sit in the European Parliament for the upcoming five years. Danish Shipping, formerly known as Danish Shipowners’ Association has gone on to urge the candidates as well as the members of Parliament to emphasize the green transition of shipping, active trade as well as industrial policy, and maritime security.
It is well to be noted that, for centuries, shipping has been very critical to Europe. It connects the continent to the wider world and happens to be a source of growth and employment. In today’s times, the EU plays quite a prominent role when it comes to businesses, European citizens, and the shipping industry. Notably, open markets, common rules as well as the trade cooperation go on to create growth and prosperity. The EU must go ahead and speak with a louder voice across the world.
Hence, the upcoming European Parliament election in June 2024 is very critical.
The point is that from the Danish Shipping perspective, MEPs have to especially go on to focus on the green transition, trade, industrial policy as well as the security. These happen to be crucial areas when it comes to shipping. Apparently, the top priorities for the European Parliament in the years to come fall under these headings, which happen to be:
Green Shift
The EU should go on to lead the green transition within the shipping arena. They happen to have quite an ambitious global goal so as to make sure that shipping becomes climate-neutral by approximately 2050. It is also critical to make sure there are enough alternative, green fuels available for ships.
It is equally significant to make sure that the processing time when it comes to expanding renewable energy projects gets reduced. Unwanted bureaucracy should not go on to hinder the green transition along with the production of the green energy that society is so desperately looking out for.
According to the CEO of Danish Shipping, Anne H. Steffensen, shipping is indeed well on its way to go ahead and become green; however, it does require massive amounts of green fuels that apparently do not exist today so as to complete the green transition within shipping. This will require quite major investments throughout the entire value chain as well as production apparatus and close cooperation among companies, authorities, and organizations. And hence, it is indeed imperative that the EU lead and the European Parliament give it a throttle.
Trade as well as industrial policy
In a world that’s changing, where supply chains happen to be under pressure and issues about increased protectionism as well as regionalism are rising, the EU has to lead active trade along with industrial policy. New mandatory balances between the useful trade and essential self-sufficiency have to be found. Existing trade agreements have to be fully executed, and competition-distorting state aid as well as other discriminatory measures have to be decreased.
Notably, the European External Action Service must be strengthened, and there has to be a greater focus when it comes to advising, scenario planning, and a close dialogue with businesses. Shipping companies sail as well as trade all across the world, and one needs the European diplomatic outposts to help the European companies in this intricate as well as changing world.
Security plus transport
The EU must speak with a voice that is much stronger across the world and, as a matter of fact, stand more united in order to defend its security when it comes to Europeans.
As per Anne H. Steffensen, there happen to be too many places where it has become quite dangerous for the ships to sail, like the Houthis’ attacks when it comes to civilian shipping in the Red Sea, pirates across the Gulf of Guinea, and also other waters. Addressing such kind of issues needs a coordinated effort by the international community, and the EU countries should massively bolster and also coordinate their efforts so as to go ahead and defend their seafarers as well as ships and the supply chains on which global trade goes on to depend.
Moreover, there happens to be an increasing need for the EU as well as the member states to execute effective measures so as to combat organized crime, such as the scenarios pertaining to drug smuggling via European ports.
The fact is that it is also worth underscoring that the EU can go on to play an important role in making sure of better interplay when it comes to different modes of transport. Short-sea shipping happens to be an important part of this puzzle that has in it the green transition within the transport sector.
