European transport ministers adopted Wednesday afternoon a ministerial declaration on maritime transport. The declaration outlines priorities for the EU’s maritime transport policy, focusing on competitiveness, digitalisation and decarbonisation. The so-called Valletta Declaration was agreed at the end of a two-day ministerial stakeholder conference organised by the Maltese presidency of the EU.
Addressing the conference on Tuesday via a video statement, ECSA president Niels Smedegaard congratulated the Maltese Presidency for the initiative and welcomed the Valletta Declaration as an important foundation to prepare the EU shipping strategy for the next decade.
“Digitalisation is rightly identified as a key priority”, said Niels Smedegaard, “From a technological point of view it should be very easy to establish a genuine European Single Window. We just need the political will to do it. Let’s not lose the momentum we now have by backtracking on the level of ambition”.
