Minister’s message
A new course in the modern shipping industry of the Greeks
Shipping is a valuable national asset for Greece and one of the main pillars for economic growth and quality employment.
Greek shipowners currently control more than 21% of the global merchant fleet and 58% of the European merchant fleet.
At the same time, around this huge merchant fleet lives and develops an equally important maritime industry which dynamically covers all the needs of a modern merchant ship.
The manning of these ships with Greeks is consistently one of the main goals of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insurance Policy. The famous seamanship of the Greeks must not only be preserved, but must also be strengthened.
For this purpose, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insurance Policy has intervened in critical areas of the staffing of Greek ships, the working conditions of seafarers and the training of students of the Merchant Marine Academies.
Specifically, we have reformed the seafaring regime on ships under the Greek flag, so that young people, who are looking for attractive job and vocational rehabilitation opportunities, can have shipping as a basic choice and way out.
However, our efforts do not stop here, but extend to the equally critical field of maritime training since modern quality ships need a sufficient number of well-trained sailors.
As part of our strategy, we have adopted a comprehensive and realistic plan for the quality upgrade of maritime education in Greece that will aim to produce executives capable of meeting the needs of a labor market that is directly and decisively influenced by technological developments.
Our goal is to give new career prospects to tomorrow’s Merchant Navy officers and seafarers of all specialties.
Launching this new form of two-way communication, I invite you to browse our new website and search for valuable information on the modern maritime professions that emerge from a modern maritime industry.
Giannis Plakiotakis
Minister of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy