Shipping Industry Calls for Adoption of the Clune Report

The shipping industry has urged the European Parliament Transport Committee to enhance maritime commerce, working conditions and sustainable transport through the adoption of the Clune Report.

Namely, the Committee is scheduled to vote on Deirdre Clune’s report on the draft regulation for a European Maritime Single Window Environment on January 10.

The shipping industry currently faces a mosaic of different information requirements and a costly array of differing local IT systems to connect to. These obstacles, which impede the greater use of maritime transport as a sustainable and green transport mode within the EU, would be reduced by the proposed simplifications and efficiencies, according to the European Community Shipowners’ Associations.

“We welcome amendments tabled that will allow companies to report via a common access point interface at EU level. This would in no way replace the national single windows, nor interfere with their decision making or the availability of data for individual ports. Nor would it jeopardise the safety of the crew, the vessel and its cargo or the port,” Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s Secretary–General, said.

The amendments would route data directly from the maritime operator to the relevant national single window via one EU router and then relay back to the shipping company any responses from that national single window. This way, any potential for divergent system requirements or deployment schedules that could happen with national deployments of the module over time would be eliminated.