The Spanish shipowners ask that the norms that regulate the field, above all in environmental matters, are clear



The Spanish shipowners above all ask that the norms that regulate the field are clear, those in environmental matters. Yesterday concluding to Madrid the assembly of the Asociación de Navieros Españoles (ANAVE), outgoing president Adolfo Utor has stopped himself over a long time span on the effects of the normative picture on the section, "especially - he has found - in environmental field, than every year he carries new standards, new requirements that determine always increasing costs". Besides the increase of the expenses, Utor he has emphasized that the side more negative is constituted by the fact that in many cases these norms are not clear and place the shipowners in a within of legal uncertainty, as - it has specified - for example it happens with the relative norms to the sulfur tenor in the fuel or on the management of ballast waters.

Utor has emphasized that the Spanish shipowners are ready to collaborate for the development and the definition of these norms: "the Spanish companies of navigation - the ANAVE president has explained - ask the administration the maximum collaboration, cooperation and transparency in the adoption of new rules that regard to us". Utor has specified that, in order to come down on a concrete plan, ANAVE it proposes that norms are not promulgated without to grant a period of reasonable time so that the shipowners prepare themselves for the effects of their application and without the pre-emptive release of instructions for the marine authorities for the aim of a uniform application of the new norms.

About state of health of the Spanish industry shipowning, Utor has announced that the company of Trasmediterránea navigation is re-entry in the association and this - has evidenced - allows to ANAVE "to return to represent the generality of the field of the marine transports Spanish, made that is particularly important in the current situation, in which is opportune that the industry is joined possible".

The current situation of the Spanish shipowning section is not precisely of most rose-colored. Utor in fact has announced "two bad news for the Spanish flag": one is the decline of the Spanish mercantile fleet that - it has stated - "in single two years and means has lost 13% of its units and nothing less than 27% of its ability to transport". In the 2014 mercantile fleet of Spanish flag, that it is enrolled in the Registry Especial de Canarias (REC) instituted with law on November 24, 1992, has recorded the decrease more sensitive than always: to 1 ° January 2015 the consistency of the fleet was of 119 ships for a total of 2.094.068 tons of tonnage and 1.661.115 gross capacities in tons, with a decrease of seven ships and a reduction respective of the -10,2% and the -18,2% of the tons of tonnage and gross capacity.

In the 2014 no segment of the Spanish mercantile fleet has recorded increments regarding the year precedence. Moreover, in last the three years - the annual report specifies 2014-2015 on the merchant navy and the marine transport of the ANAVE - the loss of competitiveness of the REC respect to other European registries has accumulated advanced decreases to the -18% in terms of tons of tonnage GT and to the -27% in terms of tpl.

The other bad news is the escape after ten years of the Spanish flag from the White List of the Memorandum of Understanding of Paris, the agreement that confers to the organisms of Port Is been Control (PSC) of the States the power to inspect the foreign ships that they land in the ports. Spain, in fact, is declassed Grey List. "This last one - it has emphasized - is a news much negative for the shipowners of the ships clappers Spanish flag because it will be translate in a tightening-up of the controls in theirs confrontii in the European ports". Which measure in order to allow with the Spanish flag to re-enter in the White List, Utor has proposed "to increase the possibilities of the marine administration to delegate the inspections to recognized organizations, in particular the classification societies, than - it has found - they are agencies of technical large-capacity and international prestige".

Adolfo Utor, after six years of mandate to the ANAVE presidency, leaves the charge to Alejandro Aznar, president of the Ibaizabal group, that new president of the association for next the three years is elected.