European Industrial Maritime Strategy offers opportunities for Dutch shipping

The Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR) is positive about the European Industrial Maritime Strategy (EIMS) presented today by the European Commission. This strategy is a comprehensive industrial and geopolitical plan that aims to modernize, protect, and strengthen Europe's broad maritime sector. It combines industrial maritime policy, trade policy, defense, innovation, energy, and the circular economy into one integrated approach. 

Initially, it was only going to concern the maritime manufacturing industry, but the strategy has achieved a good balance between the shipping sector on the one hand and the maritime manufacturing industry on the other. Moreover, there is attention to the autonomy and resilience of the broad European maritime sector. Shipping cannot do without the European manufacturing industry and vice versa, so it is logical that this broad maritime sector is highlighted in this strategy of the European Commission. 

The strategy does not include concrete measures but does provide direction for future European measures to fill in the strategy. The KVNR would like to see the actions for the European Commission addressed in the strategy.

KVNR is pleased that the European Commission recognizes that a stable fleet under the management and ownership of European shipowners is essential. Sailing under an flag, which is party of the EU, should be made more attractive through, among other things, more efficient and better services from the relevant flag state and maintaining the State Aid Guidelines.  

Another point the KVNR has been advocating for is the reduction of administrative burdens on board. To partially address this, the crew of seagoing ships should have to be able to make their notifications for port arrivals simple, one-time, and uniform everywhere. This is called the European Maritime Single Window ( ). This system should have been 'up and running' a few years ago but has not yet been implemented in most EU countries. The European Commission calls on member states to implement this European maritime front office as soon as possible. 

Regarding greening, KVNR is very positive about the European Commission's call to make revenues more available to shipowners. Specifically, to make them more accessible to the maritime SMEs. The Dutch and European shipping industry mainly consists of SMEs, so this would be great if it aligns well with our small and medium-sized members who seek to become more sustainable.

Furthermore, the goal has been included that national member states use ETS revenues to invest in infrastructure and the availability of cleaner ship fuels. This is a long-cherished wish of the Dutch shipowners. The polluter pays, and the greener is partly rewarded. This mitigates the price difference between the more expensive clean ship fuel and cheap diesel or heavy oil. Ideally, we want this to happen on a global ) level.

Prior to the publication of the EIMS, there was talk of introducing a 'Made in Europe' label to ensure that the entire construction of ships takes place in the EU. The initial idea of the European Commission was to impose a significant import duty on seagoing ships built outside the EU and active in European waters. This indirect obligation to build exclusively in the EU is something KVNR sees as very undesirable.  

Shipowners build their new ships at Dutch and European yards or not for various operational and financial reasons. For example, there is not always enough yard capacity available to build seagoing ships in Europe. Most Dutch shipowners outfit their ships at Dutch and European yards while the hull itself is being built outside of Europe. Additionally, much technology on board newly built ships contains Dutch or European content, and the maintenance of seagoing ships largely occurs at European yards.   

The European Commission has now decided to shift the 'Made in Europe' idea to a system that encourages building in Europe without imposing high import duties on ships built outside the EU, maintaining flexibility. According to KVNR, the measure would be counterproductive since Europe cannot collect import duties if newly built ships outside the EU do not sail in Europe. The consequence is that the old fleet continues to sail here while the new or cleanest ships operate outside Europe, which is undesirable.