European Commission to Improve Efficiency of Maritime Transport
The European Commission is expected to publish a proposal for a revision of the Reporting Formalities Directive (RFD) in early May 2018 that is intended to remedy the current costly, unharmonised and burdensome reporting requirements facing ships calling at EU ports.
Current complex, repetitive and duplicative reporting requirements not only result in productivity losses for maritime carriers and their customers but also create unnecessary workload and stress for ship crews.
A genuine “European Single Window” is required that will enable the same data to be submitted in the same way for the same operations and processes in all EU ports.
European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and World Shipping Council (WSC) call on the EU Institutions to propose, agree and implement a new European reporting formalities framework that benefits maritime carriers and the wider EU economy.
This should be based on the following principles: The adoption of a ‘harmonised maximum list’ of data reporting requirements for cargo and vessels that is valid in every EU port, Facilitate Trade through A True European Maritime Single Window (EMSW) and The right framework for the submission, exchange and reuse of data.
ECSA was founded in 1965 and represents the national shipowners’ associations of the EU and Norway. WSC is a non‐profit trade association with offices in Brussels and Washington, D.C. representing the interests of the international liner shipping industry in public policy and regulatory matters.
