Greek shipowners (UGS) chief: ‘IMO regulates ships and not other stakeholders’

Over 350 senior delegates from governments and industry convened to address the global risks to shipping and trade at the Shaping the Future of Shipping Summit that took place on June 11 in Athens, Greece.

The Summit, which was co-hosted by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of the Hellenic Republic, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), highlighted the need for regulatory cohesion, seafarer training and secure trade routes amid the geopolitical uncertainty.

“This sector faces multiple challenges that we need to address both collectively and individually: An energy transition, with unrealistic set goals, increased regionalism, which threatens the very foundation of an efficient international regulatory regime, fierce international competition, which challenges sustainability and maritime security issues, which put life at sea under direct threat,” Melina Travlos, president of the Union of Greek Shipowners said during her speech.

Melina Travlos highlighted that the decisions taken at the IMO should be more than a mere balancing act among the interests of its Member States: “They should be rooted in a real understanding of how the industry