Greeks own 59% of EU fleet

Shipping has operated and continues to operate as “a beacon of stability in a volatile global environment,” the president of the Union of Greek Shipowners, Melina Travlos, said on Thursday.

In a statement on the occasion of the Posidonia international shipping exhibition, to be held in Athens on June 6-10, Travlos stressed that the expo “is returning this year after a four-year absence due to the pandemic.”

“The Greek-owned fleet maintains its leading role in the shipping industry,” she noted. “Today it represents 21% of global tonnage and 59% of the European Union fleet. It controls 32% of the world fleet in tankers, 25% of bulk carriers and 22% of LNG carriers. Greek shipping, which is an integral part of European shipping, provides a strategic advantage to the European Union in its effort to ensure the adequacy and independence of its supply with essential goods and energy,” the union’s first female president said.

During the four-year period since Posidonia 2018, the shipping industry continued to serve 90% of world trade without interruption. “In the volatile global environment, shipping has acted as a beacon of stability, responding to the unprecedented conditions we have been facing due to the international health crisis the last two years, as well as the geopolitical crisis of recent months in Europe,” she added.

Posidonia will be, she underscored, “an excellent opportunity for promoting the environmental footprint of global shipping, as well as the environmental performance of the Greek-owned fleet.” The fair will also showcase a unique communication platform for ship operation, with applications that will lead gradually to carbon-free shipping, Travlos added.

The union’s president particularly stressed “the timeless commitment of Greek shipping to the promotion of ‘green shipping,’” and the sector’s front-runner role in promoting realistic proposals and goals, such as the research into and development of environmentally friendly fuels.

Travlos added, “The Union of Greek Shipowners is committed that Greek shipping, as a global leader in the industry, will be at the forefront of initiatives to adopt viable policies for the benefit of sustainable development and the smooth functioning of the global ecosystem.”