On the occasion of the 12th International Maritime Congress, representatives of the world’s leading global and European shipping organisations came to Szczecin at the invitation of the Polish Shipowners’ Association (ZAP).
Their visit coincided with an important milestone for the Polish shipowning community: the official confirmation that ZAP, together with the Polish Association of Shipping Entrepreneurs (PZPĹ»), had joined the International Chamber of Shipping.
During the Congress, Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, presented representatives of ZAP and PZPŻ with a certificate confirming both organisations’ membership of ICS. Joining ICS gives Polish shipowners the opportunity to participate directly in international discussions on regulation, safety, the energy transition and the conditions for conducting shipping operations.
The International Chamber of Shipping is a global organisation representing national shipowners’ associations and ship operators. Its members represent companies operating more than 80% of the world’s merchant fleet. ICS represents the shipping industry before international institutions, including the International Maritime Organization, and addresses technical, legal, employment and commercial matters relating to international shipping.
A natural continuation of the Congress was a special ZAPmeeting held at the Maritime Science Centre in Szczecin.
The meeting was attended by:
- Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping
- Francesco Gargiulo, CEO of the International Maritime Employers’ Council
- Mikki Koskinen, President of European Shipowners | ECSA
- Claudia Vella Casagrande, Secretary General of the Malta International Shipowners’ Association
The International Maritime Employers’ Council is an international employers’ organisation specialising in labour relations within the shipping industry. It coordinates the positions of its members, represents them in negotiations regarding seafarers’ wages and employment conditions, and provides support in the areas of maritime human resources, the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and International Labour Organization regulations.
European Shipowners | ECSA represents national shipowners’ associations from the European Union and Norway. The organisation promotes competitive and sustainable European shipping by engaging in dialogue with EU institutions on matters including the energy transition, safety, trade and supply chain resilience.
The Malta International Shipowners’ Association represents the interests of companies connected with Malta’s shipping sector. It is involved in activities at national, European and international levels, advocating safe and competitive shipping as well as consistent and predictable regulation. Through ECSA and ICS, it also contributes to shaping international maritime policy.
During the two-hour discussion, the guests presented the work of their organisations, discussed the key challenges facing global and European shipping, and shared their assessments of the direction of change in international maritime policy. The discussion also covered shipowners’ competitiveness, environmental regulations, the energy transition, maritime safety and seafarers’ employment conditions.
The meeting provided a unique opportunity for a direct exchange of experience, questions and relationship-building with individuals who actively contribute to shaping the international regulatory environment for shipping. It also marked the symbolic beginning of a new chapter in ZAP’s engagement in the work of the International Chamber of Shipping.
