SEA Europe, the association representing shipbuilding European Shipbuilding, and CLIA Europe, the European section of the association international cruise Cruise Lines International Association, asked the European Union to include shipbuilding Cruise and maritime technologies in the bill on net-zero emissions industry announced by the Commission European.

"Today - underlined the president of CLIA, Perfrancesco Vago, presenting the joint statement to the EU - Cruise lines not only provide one of the options of Most popular holiday among consumers, but they are already also collaborating with shipyards and technology suppliers maritime in order to achieve zero-emission cruises within the 2050. Pilot projects are underway to test new fuels and propulsion solutions such as batteries, cell technology fuel, advanced biofuels and synthetic fuels. It is Now for European policymakers and governments to work together with the maritime technology sector. Europe has an opportunity to pave the way for technological development and excellence maritime for the benefit of future generations'.

'The construction of cruise ships and the integration of Advanced equipment and technologies on board these ships - has added the president of SEA Europe, René Berkvens - is very complex and demonstrates industrial capabilities in the field maritime and the know-how of European shipyards and the sector of maritime equipment. These capabilities and this Know-how will be essential not only to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, but also to enable Europe to achieve other policy objectives, for example in terms of defence, blue economy or energy transition, and to safeguard the autonomy of the European maritime strategy'.

CLIA and SEA Europe recalled that more than 93% of ships of the world's cruise companies are built in shipyards European naval vessels and that the construction of cruise ships represents about 80% of the shipyards' order book. The two Associations have highlighted that the 62 cruise ships ordered to European shipyards for the next five years represent over €40 billion of direct investment in Europe.

Calling for the inclusion of cruise ship construction and Maritime technologies in the bill that will be presented by the European Commission, CLIA and SEA Europe have calls for faster access to finance for sustainable shipbuilding and equipment manufacturing in order to support Europe's global leadership in this sector. They also called for increased support and incentives for retrofit programmes and for the dissemination of renewable energy for the maritime sector, called for a programme dedicated to the maritime sector within the framework of the "Pact" for Skills" of the EU, the programme focused on training and the acquisition of professional skills, so that the skills remain in Europe, and called for placing the sector maritime at the heart of the EU's digital strategy.