2 July 2024
On July 2nd, 2024, FEPORT, ESPO, ETF, EDC and IDC representatives participated to the Sectoral Social Dialogue for Ports Committee meeting in Brussels and remotely.
On the EU Commission side, besides the Deputy Head of the Port Unit of DG MOVE, Mr Jorgen Bjerre, other representatives from DG CLIMA, Ms Polona Gregorin and Mr Timothee Noel and DG MOVE, Mr John Burke attended the meeting and provided updates on the topics of the monitoring of the impact of ETS on EU ports and the adoption of the maritime safety package.
There are still real concerns both on the employers’ and employees’ side with respect to the risk of carbon leakage as a result of the entry into force of ETS for maritime and all social partners reiterated their call to the EU Commission to proceed to a real monitoring through the use of a reliable methodology encompassing all parameters to be taken into account.
On the topic of safety of port workers on board of ships, while the Directive on the investigation of maritime accidents may contribute to a harmonisation of the procedures of investigation in Member States (ex-post), it does not really address the need to prevent accidents from happening. There is a legal void regarding the safety of port workers on board of ships and we hope that the newly elected MEPs and the EU Commission will have a more receptive ear in the coming years.