Malta Shortsea Promotion Centre (MSPC) will hold a seminar called “Towards a European maritime transport space without barriers: Ship Reporting Formalities under Directive 2010/65/EU”. The seminar will take place on Monday, 23rd May at Europe House in St Paul’s Street, Valletta. The seminar will focus on Directive 2010/65/EU, whose aim is to reduce the administrative burdens for shipping companies, by simplifying and harmonising the documentary and physical checks conducted on ships and goods moving between EU ports.

Maritime transport must comply with complex administrative procedures concerning reporting formalities, even when it relates to navigation between EU ports. Reporting formalities means the information which must be provided for administrative and procedural purposes when a ship arrives in and/or departs from a port in a particular EU Member State. These procedures, currently regulated by Directive 2002/6/EC on reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States of the Community, result in costs and delays and thus making maritime transport less attractive.

In January 2009, the European Commission published a proposal to amend the above mentioned Directive. After discussions at the EU level, Directive 2010/65/EU on reporting formalities for ships was adopted in October 2010. For further information on the said Directive, please click on the following link:

http://www.shortsea.org.mt/userFiles/Directive%202010-65-EU%20-%20background%20note.pdf

This new Directive, which needs to be transposed into Maltese law by May 2012, will have a direct bearing on actual operations related to ships’ arrival and departure at or from our ports. In this context, the Malta Shortsea Promotion Centre (MSPC), together with the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) and the European Commission Representation in Malta, is organising a seminar on the new Directive 2010/65/EU. The aim of this seminar is to create awareness within the Maltese shipping community about the implications of this Directive and its salient points.

Speakers at the seminar include officials from the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Telecommunications, Transport Malta and the Customs Department. Please find the seminar programme herewith attached.

This seminar should be of particular interest to:

  • shipping agencies;
  • ship owners;
  • shippers;
  • ship brokers and agents;
  • the business industry; and
  • freight forwarders.

To view the Draft Programme of this seminar, please click on the following link:

http://www.shortsea.org.mt/userFiles/MSPC%20Seminar%20Draft%20Programme.pdf

Participation is free of charge, however registration is highly recommended in view of seating restrictions. You are kindly requested to register with the MSPC by sending your name, surname, ID number and email address by not later than noon of Wednesday May 18, 2011 on email address [email protected]. For further details and assistance on this event, kindly contact the MSPC at the above mentioned address.