Shipping & Global Economy
(a) Training and Certification of seafarers,
b) Safety of human life and property at sea (passengers-ship-cargo)
c) Protection of the Marine Environment from the pollution of merchant ships. Warships are not subject to shipping law.
Maritime transport is an integral part of peaceful international trade that is the very source of life of the world, as stated in the Founding Declaration of Voluntary Commitment of HELMEPA signed by Greek sailors and shipowners in 1982 in Piraeus.
The more than 60,000 merchant ships of the world shipping carry 99.6% of the goods safely to their destination at a lower cost. The merchant ship is the most efficient, economical and environmentally friendly means of transport that humanity still has.
International law requires that every ship be safe for passengers (crew and passengers) and operate in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition to ship safety, special importance is given to environmental protection. An example is the oil (lubricants) -water separators. They are special mechanisms that remove oil and grease from the water that collects at the bottom of the engine rooms. They then throw back the sea the water they cleaned and are controlled by shipping authorities in the ports they visit.
Shipping plays an essential role in the economic development of the European Union. 75% of the Union’s imports and exports and 37% of its internal trade are operated by ships that also connect regional and island regions with mainland Europe.