The week of March 2-6, 2015 has been chosen as the date for the inaugural European Shipping Week when shipping industry leaders from Europe and around the world will descend on Brussels to meet and network with top legislators from the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
The week-long series of high level events will bring together the major players in the shipping industry with the primary aim of promoting the strengths and significance of European and global shipping to these important regulatory bodies in Brussels.
The European Commission, through DG MOVE, has endorsed European Shipping Week and formal patronage is already being sought from it as well as from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
Welcoming the announcement of the European Shipping Week dates, Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), said: “The first week of March is ideal since EU institutions will by then be fully operational in their new composition. The whole idea behind this important event is to give European shipping the opportunity it needs to impress upon what is a new European Parliament and a new College of Commissioners.”
European Shipping Week was the brainchild of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and is run by a Steering Group made up of Europe’s main shipping organisations as well as the European Commission and Shipping Innovation. The shipping organizations involved on the Steering Group include: ECSA; Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe; European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA); Interferry; the European Dredging Association; the World Shipping Council, as well as the European Tugowners’ Association. Other European shipping associations may also be invited to support the initiative and hold relevant events during the week.
ESW is organized by Shipping Innovation – the driving force behind the highly successful London International Shipping Week (LISW). More details about the week-long line-up of events will be released in due course. An official ESW website will be launched in the next few weeks.