14/02/2008 me*: MAD about Quality and Safety
The European Marine Equipment Council (EMEC) hosted on 12/2/2008 in Brussels its annual reception in cooperation with the Community of European Shipyards Association (CESA). More than 200 participants attended the event at the Residence Palace, including representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council on the European Union and of the industries of the maritime cluster.
EMEC launched the new ME* logo, which will be used for information campaigns on safety and presented its new corporate video.
Keynote speeches were given by EMEC’s chairman, Mr. Pim Van Gulpen, the deputy head of Cabinet for Commissioner Jaques Barrot, Ms. Kerstin Jorna, the vice-chairman of CESA, Mr. Kommer Damen, and the honorary chairman of CESA, Mr. Corrado Antonini.
Mr. Van Gulpen renewed EMEC’s commitment to the participation in the policy decisions taken at the EU level. He underlined the importance of cooperation between stakeholders of the maritime cluster and between the shipping industry and the European Institutions for the achievement of safer and sustainable shipping:
“quality shipping cannot be achieved without quality shipbuilding”.
He pointed out EMEC’s contributions to the major EU policy initiatives such as the ‘Green Paper’, the “Safety Package’, including the ‘Class Directive’, the FP7 and the Waterborne technology platform; the SMEs policy and innovation programmes; ‘LeaderShip 2015’ and its related activity like the IPR study on shipbuilding.
Mr. Van Gulpen emphasised the contribution of the marine equipment industry to the achievement of the highest standards of safety and quality of shipping. He highlighted the role of marine equipment suppliers as leading technology drivers, introducing the majority of new innovations and providing solutions for environmental issues and safety standards.
Speaking on behalf of Transport Commissioner Jaques Barrot, Ms. Kerstin Jorna stated that European Commission consider the partnership between the European shipbuilding industry and the European Commission as a vital resource for the European transport and industry policy. It stressed the role of the shipbuilding industry in pursuing the objectives of designing and building quality ships for high performing and sustainable short sea shipping links and tackling in an innovative way the issue of maritime safety.
The Commissioner’s speech recalled the importance of the Commission proposal to
“harmonise rules and standards applicable to ships and marine equipment and to provide for mutual recognition of certificates.”
According to the Commission,
“the thus revised “Class Directive” will increase the efficiency of maritime administrations and improve the framework applicable to survey organizations.”
The Commissioner also stated that
“a maritime safety policy cannot be imagined without the contribution of the shipbuilding industry and in particular the marine equipment producers whose innovative skills increase maritime safety every day.”
EMEC’s chairman Pim Van Gulpen commented on Tuesday’s event:
“I am pleased that the European Commission is supporting our efforts and investments for quality, safe and sustainable shipbuilding. The European shipbuilding industry, and particularly the marine equipment sector, is at the forefront of innovation to ensure the highest standards of environmental protection and safety for shipping. We need strong and coherent policy choices to maintain our world-wide leadership, which is based on quality and innovation. I am pleased that our essential role for safety, environmental protection, innovation and competitiveness has been fully acknowledged by the Commission. I am confident that the cooperation between the Commission and the shipbuilding industry will therefore be fruitful, not only for the maritime cluster, but for the whole European society, which is entitled to demand safer and sustainable transport systems.”
