Intertanko Preps for Rotterdam Event

INTERTANKO's Annual General Meeting this year will be held in conjunction with the Rotterdam Tanker Event 2002. The Rotterdam Tanker Event features an exciting three-day program, embracing presentations on a wide range of current issues facing the industry. The conference program features a comprehensive and current range of topics, including insurance after September 11th, cargo and air emissions, ballast water management, recycling and antifouling paints, together with regional updates from Europe, USA and Asia. But tanker shipping is also about economy, profitability and return on investment. In many ways, 2001 ended on a different note than the previous year. While freight rates reached record levels in the course of 2000, the atrocities of September 11th last year accelerated an economic downturn that was already in motion and tanker earnings have dropped to unprecedented lows. At the moment unrest in the Middle East is threatening to disrupt oil supplies, and through history we have learnt that this will affect the tanker industry. At the same time, economic recovery is budding in the US and Europe, and we may have come through the worst. The Open Market Session will answer some questions and will provide an in-depth review and analyses of the world economy, and oil and tanker markets. To a certain extent, a world in turmoil inspires visions. The tanker community is constantly facing political, technical, environmental and commercial challenges and we are proud to present an eclectic panel of speakers who will share their Tanker Visions with us. Spanning the European Commission, the US Coast Guard, some of the largest ship operators and charterers of the world, pilots, port authorities and class, P&I clubs and Greenpeace, the list of speakers promises input and food for thought from varied perspectives. Let us challenge and encourage the visions towards a better future for oil transportation - the life blood of the world economy! However, clear visions also require transparency. Security, credibility and safety depend on transparency on many levels. Within organizations, transparent routines and flow of information are paramount to efficient operations and a continuous process of improvement. At the same time, authorities and the general public increasingly demand insights into an industry whose image is often obscured by veils of intricate secrecy. A major challenge will be to nourish a culture of transparency for the benefit of safety and raised standards, without jeopardizing individual business and commercial interests. INTERTANKO would like to bring this discussion further and will invite the audience to participate in the process. For further information, program updates and registration forms, visit www.intertanko.com/conferences/tankerevent2002