ECASBA plaude to the Declaration of Athens formulated from the ministers of the Transports of the EU



ECASBA, the European committee of the FONASBA, the international federation of the brokers and shipping agents, have expressed the own full consent regarding the content of the Declaration of Athens approved of last week unanimously from the ministers of the Transports of the European Union ( of 8 May 2014).

The Declaration - it has emphasized the president of ECASBA, Antonio Belmar from Coast - constitutes a clear and unambiguous confirmation of the importance attributed from the Member States to the development of European policies on the marine transport efficient and effective. In promulgating the Declaration - it has added - the Member States inform to the next EU commission and their national administrations that pending expected a fast action on the issues that they interest the field. Between these - it has remembered - they figure the application of the principles of the only market to the marine transports, the introduction of computerized customs procedures, the elimination of the useless, interminable administrative throttlings and a reduction of and redundant bureaucratic procedures, critical issues for the shipping agents who - she has evidenced Coast - are discussed for a long time without some meaningful progress is completed. With the support clearly expressed from the Member States, however - it has continued Belmar from Coast - ECASBA confides that the moment of being able has reached to complete realizes steps ahead.

Belmar from Coast, taking part to the third edition of the European Shortsea Conference that has been shut yesterday to Lisbon, has found moreover as the Declaration of Athens asks also an action on a lot attended guidelines on the aids for State and the policies in order to improve the competitiveness of the European ports and on the introduction of effective measures in order to improve safety and the environmental performances of the ships, above all in the traffics short beam.

At last Belmar from Coast and the other present delegates to the conference of Lisbon has received with favor also clearly the reference in the Declaration to the importance and the value of the short sea shipping in the European chain of the transports and to its continuous economic development so as the evidenziazione of the important role carried out from the European Shortsea Network and its national Centers of Promotion in determining the improvements over a long time span attended from the field.