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MARE FORUM 2006
"...τα πάντα ρεί ... everything flows..."
Herakleitos 475 BC
Monday and Tuesday 25 & 26 September 2006 Astir Palace Vouliagmeni (Arion) Resort Athens - Greece
INTRODUCTION
“Our vision is that of a Europe with a dynamic maritime economy in harmony with the marine environment“ Commissioner Joe Borg, Galicia 2005 Safety, quality, transparency, sustainability and good governance have been recurring themes in successive Mare Forums, which have established a formidable reputation for high level participation in thematic conferences designed to inform policy makers in the maritime sector. A further consistent theme in these meetings has been the establishment of an important inter-dependence of those interests which have become identified as the “chain of responsibility “ for safe maritime transport. - shipowners and managers , regulators of flag and port state authorities, classification societies and shipbuilders, those who employ ships and those who insure and finance them. Proactive and designed to promote reasoned debate with a constructive outcome, Mare Forums have been a valuable meeting place for industry and its regulators, and consistently demonstrated the value of an integrated approach. This, of course, resonates strongly with the aims and ambitions of European Commission President Barosso, who last year appointed Commissioner Joe Borg to oversee and inquire into the development of a holistic and integrated maritime policy for Europe. This, said Mr Borg as he explained his programme, would be the development of a policy which would imply a comprehensive strategy for maritime affairs, determining areas where efforts could be integrated and those where reinforced co-ordination might be required. An extensive consultation process is under way and a Green Paper, in which the case for an integrated maritime policy which defines an optimal pathway for economic maritime development will be put, is published in June this year. How does the “maritime” industry and the participants in its chain of responsibility relate to the wider aims and ambitions of the Green Paper, which of course takes into account issues of energy, sea and ocean use, and the maritime and coastal environment ? How will an integrated maritime policy devised for Europe, fit into the wider and global bounds of our planet, and the international regulatory and industrial framework? All Mare Forum participants from throughout the maritime industry and its regulators will identify with the need for their activities to be conducted against a background of sustainability. The shipping industry is keenly aware that its operations, which affect the public awareness and understanding of maritime enterprise, must be examined against long-term criteria as to whether environmental harm might be caused and what remediation might be possible. The need for good governance and social responsibility have been strongly expressed by increasing numbers of industry leaders , while the “social contract” between our industries and society in general have been recognised as a key issue. There is a keen awareness that image of the industry is important, and there is a growing enthusiasm for a higher and more visible industry presence, based on the “positive realities” of what shipping delivers to the world. But at the same time there is a recognition that the maritime sector must be publicly committed to sustainable, socially responsible conduct and and technology and management must work towards this. At recent Mare Forums there has been strong opinions expressed against merely continuing in the old ways, which might suggest that accidents are statistically rare but “unavoidable” and strongly in favour of the need for continuous improvement. Mare Forum 2006 in Athens will bring together the authors of the EU Green Paper on Integrated Maritime Policy, along with high level political and industry figures to examine how best such policies can be developed in practical terms. Many within the maritime industry believe that the “joined up thinking” implied by such a policy could be both important and useful, facilitating, as Commissioner Borg has said, “the development of diverse and sometimes conflicting sea-based activities and will thus contribute to economic development without compromising the welfare of future generations.” It is similarly believed that such policies should be examined in an international context and are of great interest to regulators and industry figures from other parts of the world.
Mare Forum 2006 offers seven distinct strands to this important and useful examination of progress and industrial performance:
Monday 25 September Session 1 Setting the scene: The Stakeholders What has been achieved - What has to be done Session 2 Transport and sustainability Should an optional EU register be made available? What conditions and incentives could be contemplated for such a register? Should an EU coastguard service be set up? What might be its aim and functions? Should the European Community become a member of more multilateral maritime organizations? Session 3 Environment - changing attitudes Proactive protection of the marine environment - Changing social attitudes to pollution - Recycling as a way of life Is shipping being left behind in the race for green solutions? -
Session 4 Human factors Supply and demand - Maintaining skills bases - More than mariners - driving up brain power How can the decline in the number of Europeans entering certain maritime professions be reversed and the safety and attractiveness of jobs ensured?
Tuesday 26 September Session 5 Markets - supply and demand forecasts Oil, gas, coal, containers and renewables - Shipping and transport patterns. Where to invest your money today: any fresh ideas? Session 6 Investments and Finance Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Pass Go, or Collect $ 200.000 Buy sell or hold? What will you do? Session 7 Towards an integrated European maritime policy The Green Paper and Shipping
We look forward to welcoming you in Athens,
The Speakers ( as of 18 September ) The list of speakers will be daily updated
Michael Grey Conference Chairman, Columnist Lloyd’s List Ioannis Tzoannos, Secretary General Ministry of Mercantile Marine, Greece Joe Borg EU Commissioner Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
