The European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) is the voice of the European shipping industry.
Founded in 1965 under the name Comité des Associations d'Armateurs des Communautés Européennes (CAACE), ECSA promotes the interests of 19 member associations of the EU and Norway. As a trade association, ECSA strives for a regulatory environment that fosters the international competitiveness of European shipping.
ECSA works through a permanent secretariat in Brussels, a board of directors and a number of specialised committees and working groups.
ECSA’s current President is Philippos Philis, its Vice-President is Karin Orsel.
The organisation is recognised by the European Institutions as the representative body of the European shipping sector, and is registered in the European Commission’s Transparency Register for Interest Representatives since 23 June 2008.
ECSA’s strategic priorities are:
Climate and Sustainability
Trade
Competitiveness
Internal Market
Innovation & Digitalisation
Human Element
Safety
Legal Affairs
Taxation
Better Regulation
Member Associations
(in alphabetical order)
Belgium: Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association
Croatia: Croatian Shipowners' Association Mare Nostrum
Cyprus: Joint Cyprus Shipowners' Association
Denmark: Danish Shipping
Estonia: Estonian Shipowners' Association
Finland: Finnish Shipowners' Association
France: Armateurs de France
Germany: Verband Deutscher Reeder
Greece: Union of Greek Shipowners
Ireland: Irish Chamber of Shipping
Italy: Confederazione Italiana Armatori
Lithuania: Lithuanian Shipowners
Luxembourg: Fedilshipping
Malta: Malta International Shipping Council
Netherlands: Koninklijke Vereniging van Nederlandse Reders
Norway: Norwegian Shipowners' Association
Portugal: Associacao de Armadores da Marinha de Comercio
Slovenia: Slovenian Association of Shipowners
Spain: Asociacion de Navieros Espanoles
Sweden: Swedish Shipowners' Association
Many ECSA members are also members of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
The European shipping industry
The European shipping industry controls 39.5% of the global merchant fleet. This amounts to 810 million deadweight tonnes or 550 million gross tonnes and 23,400 vessels.
Shipping is a valuable economic and geopolitical asset of the European Union. In 2018, it delivered €54 billion to the EU's GDP. This translates into €78,000 GDP per worker, compared to the EU average of €63,000. Its direct economic impact is significant, with 685,000 persons employed in both sea- and land-based jobs in the same year. Taking into consideration the indirect and induced impacts, the total economic impact of European shipping amounts to €149 billion and 2 million jobs. For every €1 million GDP the European shipping industry creates, another €1.8 million is supported elsewhere in the EU economy.
See also
International Chamber of Shipping
International Maritime Organization (the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment ) International Labour Organization UNCTAD review of maritime transport (annual UNCTAD publication) European Transport Workers' Federation
References
External links
Official website of ECSA
2020 Report of the ‘Economic Value of the EU Shipping Industry” by Oxford Economics