SEA Europe welcomes Draghi report enhancing competitiveness and reminds a maritime industrial strategy is essential
The European shipyard and equipment manufacturers association reminds shipbuilding industry is losing competitiveness compared to Asia
SEA Europe, the industry association that represents Europe’s shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers, says it ‘fully backs’ Mario Draghi’s report on enhancing European competitiveness. The report highlights the unfair competition European shipbuilding industry faces from Asians who "receive large government subsidies, allowing them to offer 30-40% lower prices than EU shipyards".
Another challenge refers to strategic dependence. "Europe's maritime resilience is at risk, since it depends on Asia for 94% of merchant ships and 96% of containers", says SEA, which echoes Mario Draghi's proposal that advocates specific support, such as "conditions in EU financial instruments or tax incentives for shipowners to buy ships manufactured in the EU".
SEA Europe recalls these proposals are fully in line with the manifesto recommendations the association presented in April and where it called on the EU to “swiftly implement a Maritime Industrial Strategy”; a request, it adds, which was echoed by the Competitiveness Council in May in which EU Member States asked European Commission “to develop a new strategy to support European maritime industry, which is vital to the EU’s strategic interests, in the digital and green transition and to cover all dimensions of the sector’s competitiveness”.
Christophe Tytgat, Secretary General of SEA Europe, explains that “EU policymakers must act now to strengthen the competitiveness of European shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers”. In this regard, it indicates that the Draghi report highlights that “without a solid maritime industrial strategy, the entire European maritime sector, as well as its global leadership in advanced and high-value vessels and technologies, faces significant risks” and concludes “a maritime industrial strategy is not only essential for the maritime industry itself, but also for Europe's strategic autonomy, defence, resilience and future”.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras