ESW 2020 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Day Theme
Trade and Competitiveness
Day Theme
Safe and Social Shipping
Day Theme
Shipping and the Environment

- This event has passed.
Facilitating seafarer travel, onshore leave and passenger transport
18th February 2020 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Implications of the EU Visa and Smart Border Package
The EU’s ports are among the world’s busiest, serving as locations for thousands of seafarers joining and leaving their ships and exercising their right to shore leave that is essential to their wellbeing.
Seafarers reside all over the world and large numbers of them work on ships that never call at ports in the countries where they live. Their risk profile has been shown to be low and strict vetting procedures and personal background checks are additionally conducted on seafarers by their employers.
The relationship between seafarer movement and the facilitation of world trade is inextricable. Their ability to do their jobs and fulfil their essential role in facilitating trade should not depend on their nationality or be stifled by restrictive conditions that they cannot satisfy because of the length of their contracts.
Whilst some ships are engaged in regular liner or ferry services, most are employed in “tramp” trades, with irregular itineraries and little advance of notice of port calls. This means that in such cases arrangements for seafarer travel- including visa applications- must be made within short time frames. It is of the utmost importance to shipping in both Europe and elsewhere that the EU facilitates – and does not unnecessarily impede – the movement of seafarers.
This event will hear the Commission explain the new Visa Code and Smart Border Package and allow for an exchange on the implications for the shipping industry.
Industry and seafarer representatives will explain the industry, the practicalities and complexities of crew changes, the rights for seafarers to shore leave, crew management procedures by shipowners/operators or crew managers, the importance of seamless boarding and problems encountered when entering/exiting EU ports. These will take into account the state of play in view of procedures currently in place and those due to come into place with the new rules that will shortly come into force.
Programme
14.00-14.05 | Introduction by Moderator – moderated by Nathalie Hesketh, FIPRA |
14:05-14.15 | The new Visa Code and Smart Borders Package
· Guido Schwarz, Policy Officer, DG Migration and Home Affairs, Unit C5 (Visa Policy) · Fernando Otero – Arceo, Policy Officer, DG Migration and Home Affairs, Unit B3 (Information Systems for Borders, Migration and Security) |
14.10-15.20 | PANEL DISCUSSION
Representing Industry: · Ukko Metsola, VP Government Relations, Europe & Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited · Ville Patrikainen, Safety Management Manager, Company Security Officer, P&O Ferries · Jonas Gunnarson, Captain, Swedish Shipowners’ Association · Norman Schmiedl, Group Director Crewing, Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd · Tjitso Westra, Labour Affairs (Manning and Training), Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners Representing Seafarers: · Oleg Grygoriuk, First Vice Chairman of the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine |
15.20 – 15.30 | CLOSING REMARKS – moderator, Nathalie Hesketh |
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 17, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 17, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 17, 2020
Looking forward to the women in European shipping #ESW2020 https://t.co/YmN2v4gOyH
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 18, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 18, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 18, 2020
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— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 19, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 19, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 20, 2020
Looking forward to the #ESW2020 Shipping and the Environment panel https://t.co/MQzfTjdgac
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 20, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 20, 2020
— ESW2020 (@EuroShippingWk) February 20, 2020