Potential Abolition of Danish International Ship Register Under Fire

It is sad and worrying that the Frigast committee now proposes to scrap the Danish International Ship Register (DIS) scheme, says Danske Rederier (Danish Shipowners). The organization therefore makes a clear call to the government not to implement the proposal, as it will have major negative consequences for Danish shipping.

The so-called Frigast committee published its recommendations for changes to the existing business support schemes this week. Among other things, the committee proposed to abolish the DIS scheme.

It appears that the possible proceeds from abolishing the scheme are so uncertain that it is not included in the 2.3 billion DKK which the Committee overall recommends cutting in existing business support schemes. The committee concluded that, in the long term, it must be expected that an abolition of the scheme will result in significantly fewer Danish sailors and fewer ships flying the Danish flag, but has not further assessed the knock-on for employment ashore etc.

"Abolition of the DIS scheme will lead to significant and massive flagging of Danish-flagged ships to neighboring countries and other maritime nations around the world. Immediately, positions ashore must follow, and in time we will also lose the Danish seafarers and important maritime skills. It is a highly unsafe experiment that one should stay far away from. I cannot warn against that strongly enough," says Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of Danske Rederier.

She says there has been broad political support for Danish shipping and for the DIS scheme, which has existed since 1988.

Denmark today has the world's seventh largest maritime industry, and there are more than 100,000 people employed in the maritime cluster.