European Union Maritime Research Articles

Implied threats of the Red Sea crisis to global maritime transport: amplified carbon emissions and possible carbon pricing dysfunction

Recent military acts in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are forcing merchant ships to reroute, thereby driving up international shipping rates, prolonging delivery dates, and causing additional greenhouse gas emissions. Utilizing the European Union (EU) Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification emissions database and real time Automatic Identification System data, this study conducted frequency analysis and causative investigation on container ships circumnavigating the Cape of Good Hope. The findings indicate that the current policy framework under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) poses a higher risk of carbon leakage, particularly for medium and small-sized container ships, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the nascent EU maritime carbon pricing. If the crisis continues, combined with anticipated tighter emission regulations, this risk is expected to escalate. International maritime policy administrators should make timely adjustments in response to the chain reactions caused by war, enhancing the robustness of cross-regional carbon pricing.

Examining the Detrimental Consequences of Delaying Romania’s Full Accession to the Schengen Area: A Security-Centric Approach Aligned with Sustainable Development and Quality of Life

PURPOSE: To highlight the degree of perception among the young population in Romania (ages 18–35) regarding the impact of the decisions by some European Union (EU) countries to delay the full acceptance (air, maritime, and land) of Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area on various indicators characterizing the country’s sustainable development, national security interests, and the quality of life of the population. This study was deemed timely in light of the EU’s decision regarding the removal of air and maritime border controls with Romania starting on 31 March 2024 (“Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area, air and maritime”), while maintaining controls at land borders (non-acceptance of “land accession”), under the conditions of Romania fully meeting all the requirements imposed by European legislation, a situation considered by national authorities and the Romanian public as discrimination compared to European states, and causing significant disadvantages in terms of sustainable development and the country’s security interests. METHODS: The study was based on a questionnaire administered to 785 Romanian citizens aged 18–35 years. Data were collected during the period from 15 March 2024 to 15 April 2024, centered around the date of 31 March 2024, which marks “Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area, air and maritime”, through the elimination of EU air and maritime border controls with Romania. The main method used was statistical analysis (descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate), focused on detecting and assessing the degree of respondents’ awareness regarding the efforts of authorities for the full accession of Romania to the Schengen Area and the EU’s response to this effort; the negative impact of delaying the elimination of controls at the EU’s land borders with Romania (“land accession”) on national security interests, on the sustainable development of the country by relating to the objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda developed at the United Nations Summit in September 2015, and on the quality of life of people in Romania. Additionally, the study was based on empirical research of the analyzed issues, in accordance with the available literature. RESULTS: The study reveals that, in the context of a very high level of awareness among respondents regarding the efforts of national authorities for Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area (75.26–91.30%) and access to credible information resources and materials about these efforts (65.10–73.05%), Romania’s status as a full-fledged EU member is a determining factor for motivating Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area (83.33–93.48%). Furthermore, the decisions of some European states to delay full accession are perceived as subjective/unfair actions that are likely to limit/violate the access/facilities of Romanian citizens, as full-fledged EU citizens, to the values of the European democratic space (59.12–76.69%). Additionally, respondents believe that these decisions are likely to affect Romania’s security interests (43.61–56.52%), exacerbate the discrepancies between the living standards of Romania’s population and those of Western European countries (47.59–71.73%), and negatively impact the national implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda objectives, as these objectives mostly target significant national infrastructures. Moreover, the WHOQOL-BREF measurement tool shows that these decisions negatively affect, to a large and very large extent, the quality of life of people in Romania (32.07–41.31%), with specific characteristics of the investigated domains (“Physical”, “Psychological”, “Environmental”, and “Social”), depending on the considered socio-demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: We consider that the study conducted provides a scientifically documented information base regarding respondents’ awareness of Romania’s efforts to join the Schengen Area, their perception of the direct consequences on national security, sustainable development of Romania, and quality of life, as a result of the decisions by some EU countries to delay Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area. Lastly, the study reveals the correlation between the dissatisfaction/frustration of the population caused by the decision to delay Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area and the questioning of the social, economic, political, and security consequences induced by this decision.

Analysis of European Union Maritime Casualties Crisis Management Prospective

Analysis of European Union Maritime Casualties Crisis Management Prospective

Guvernanța și securitatea maritimă – abordarea Uniunii Europene

At the level of European leadership in Brussels, it has been developed, based on preserving and affirming the European culture and civilisation, the idea of creating the conceptual and actional premises for “Europe ad integrum” to represent a “maritime force”. In this context, the Integrated Maritime Policy is a comprehensive approach to all European Union maritime and related policies. Basically, the Integrated Maritime Policy is the European Union’s response to develop the sustainable implementation of maritime governance, a concept in which maritime security plays a key role. This paper deals with the principles of maritime policies formulated at European Union level, which, in conjunction with the provisions of the European Union Maritime Security Strategy and Action Plan, form the European concept of maritime governance and security.

Governance and Maritime Security. The European Union’s Approach

At the level of European leadership in Brussels, it has been developed, based on preserving and affirming the European culture and civilisation, the idea of creating the conceptual and actional premises for “Europe ad integrum” to represent a “maritime force”. In this context, the Integrated Maritime Policy is a comprehensive approach to all European Union maritime and related policies. Basically, the Integrated Maritime Policy is the European Union’s response to develop the sustainable implementation of maritime governance, a concept in which maritime security plays a key role. This paper deals with the principles of maritime policies formulated at European Union level, which, in conjunction with the provisions of the European Union Maritime Security Strategy and Action Plan, form the European concept of maritime governance and security.

Waves of contention: framing the complexity of unresolved EU maritime boundary disputes

ABSTRACT European Union (EU) responses to maritime boundary disputes reveal certain paradoxes of governance. The increasing interest of EU states in controlling larger maritime areas and the public and private exploitation of marine and seabed resources are enhancing the territorialization of the sea. The EU as a political project claims to transcend state-vested interests, promoting peaceful dispute resolution when it comes to maritime boundary disputes. This article highlights common drivers of maritime boundary disputes involving member states and the role played by the EU in solving them (or not). The purpose is to provide an investigative introduction that can aid further analyses by showing that EU membership is not in itself sufficient to address historical antagonisms, geographical realities and national/economic interests when it comes to the maritime space. However, the EU does have a positive role to play as a facilitator of diplomatic negotiation, potentially holding both stick and carrot. The current Blue Growth agenda naturally calls for the settlement of disputes and the peaceful use of the oceans, but it can also play a role in feeding them via the incentivization of actors involved in profit-generating activities at sea.

Comparative analysis of the medicinal compounds of the ship's "medicine chests" in European Union maritime countries. Need for improvement and harmonization.

The contents of the ship pharmacy, namely "medicine chest" and its compliance with therespective regulations concerning the type of drugs to be provided for merchant vessels involved in long distance voyages and without a doctor on board were analysed. The current existing disparity between regulations can make medical assistance more complicated, and more often of low quality, due to frequent off-label use of supplied drugs. This study may represent a starting point leading to a model high-quality medicine chest on board ships. A comparative analysis between the medicine chest requirements of 12 European countries and the CEE Directive 31 March 1992 n.92/29 was made. Prescriptions of the aforementioned Directive were compared with the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (third Edition). The investigation showed a lack of homogeneity of contents. It emerged that some medicinechests lack of several pharmaceutical categories required by the reference standards. The subsequentcomparison of the European Directive with the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines has highlightedthe absence of some therapeutic categories that in the ship environment can be of important to ensureadequate therapy in many situations. There are disparities regarding regulations concerning the ship medicine chests. It is crucial toharmonize these and create a single medicine chest for all the ships without a doctor on board, undergoingperiodic updates and revisions, based on epidemiological analysis that will ensure high-quality healthcareto seafarers around the world.

Maritime security strategies from a Gender Perspective: Implications for United Nations SDG 5 implementation

Maritime security strategies and their associated action plans are instruments that guide the policies and directives of states and international organizations in the maritime sector. This directly impacts the empowerment of women and how the discriminations they are subject to, including violence and exploitation, are addressed. However, a gender perspective of such instruments has not yet been used to analyse these policies. Within this context, this paper looks at the Spanish National Maritime Security Strategy and the European Union Maritime Security Strategy from a gender perspective as a case study. Both are examined from a three-pronged approach that aims to determine the implications for the implementation of SDG 5.1, 5.2 and 5 C. The first analysis concentrates on their texts and action plans. Since both are sectoral strategies focused specifically on maritime security, but interplay with security strategies of a more generalized scope, the relationship with the Spanish National Security Strategy and the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy is also assessed. Furthermore, the gender dimension of additional maritime security strategies is considered within the European Union and other regional areas in order to have a comparative vision. This work concludes by offering a means of incorporating or improving a gendered perspective in future versions of the Spanish and European maritime security strategies, which can also be applied across different maritime security strategies worldwide.

Methodological basis of participation of shipping companies of Ukraine in the maritime trade of the European Union

The purpose. The aim of the work is the development of methodological bases for the development of the most promising areas of maritime transport in Ukraine, taking into account the priorities of the development of Ukraine's maritime policy. Methods . The method of analysis and synthesis is used in studying the main international and national features of the development of maritime transport markets. The dialectical method of cognition and the systematic approach was applied to the study of the economic laws of the modern international maritime transport market. The method of induction and deduction are used in formulating generalizations, theoretical conclusions based on the material studied. The Results . The main directions of forming international maritime markets with the allocation of the market share of the European Union are analyzed, the latest trends are identified and prospective maritime shipping markets for are identified. The possibility for Ukrainian shipbuilders to develop the market for the construction of ships for inland waterways is defined. The seafarers' labor market is identified as the most developed and promising for Ukraine, which needs state support in the direction of protecting the rights of Ukrainian citizens as a significant socioeconomic factor. The possibility of development of the fleet registration market in due to the support of the bill On the International Register of Courts of Ukraine or the introduction of tax incentives for vessels registered under the Ukrainian flag by introducing a tonnage tax was determined. In the paper, it was suggested to use the development factors of individual maritime shipping markets to determine the direction of the national maritime transport policy. Scientific novelty . The methodological basis for the participation of Ukrainian shipping companies in international maritime trade markets has been improved through the identification of factors and the degree of their openness. The practical significance . The use of the above methodological bases will help scientifically justify the ways of creating conditions for the effective development of shipping companies in and Ukraine's competitive participation in the European Union's maritime trade.

The establishment of metadatabase: The program Euromarsin for the marin sediments samples

The project EUMARSIN (European MARine Sediment Information Network), is an international scientific project financed by the European Community and its aim has been the development of an internet retrievable metadatabase containing the marine sediment samples collected from the European Seas. The project, with duration of two years, started on November 1998 and ended on October 2000. This paper elucidates the concerted activities of the partners participating in the project and represent the Marine Geology Departments of the Eurogeosurveys (ERG) now called Geological Survey Organizations (GSOs) of the European Union maritime countries, with the additional participation of a private company specialized on marine data management. The metadata can be accessed on the EU-SEASED Website through both an alphanumeric search and retrieval interface and by a geographical interface which allows the user to define an area of interest on a scrollable map showing the distribution of the seafloor sample/core locations. The EUMARSIN metadatabase now contains approximately 180.000 seabed samples collected by the Geological Surveys and other research organizations, universities, hydrographie offices and commercial companies in Europe. The metadatabase will be regularly updated by the partners on an on-line data entry system which will allow other organizations to contribute their metadata either retrospectively or as new data. The outcome of the EUMARSIN project, will be the successful establishment of the http://www.eu-seased.net marine sediment metadatabase and the development of analogous databases in each Geological Institute with the same specifications. This constitutes the first pan-European metadatabase in the marine geoscience field.

SOME ASPECTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION MARITIME POLICY

The article is devoted to the issues about the interpretation of certain aspects of the European Union maritime policy. In order to understand the content of the European Union maritime strategy, the following directives were analyzed: Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, which have a single objective - to protect the marine environment and sustainable use of the seas. Analysis of key positions of the EU maritime legislation is based on the provisions of international conventions and the Environmental Law’s theory, and helps to systemize knowledge.The author considers the European seas as the object of legal regulation, which plays an important role in ensuring the national interests of each member-state and the EU in whole. At the same time, the European Union maritime policy is based on a variety of approaches, the choice of which depends on both the environmental impact and the objectives of the use of the marine environment.

Measuring the efficiency of third party reverse logistics provider in supply chain by multi objective additive network DEA model

This paper empirically studies the competitiveness of selected Short Sea Shipping (SSS) corridors by comparing the generalised costs of different alternatives to move cargo from Spain to several European destinations either by road or by using a SSS multimodal corridor. In the context of fair and efficient intermodal competition promoted by European Union (EU) policies, our results show that, apart from the internalisation of the external costs and the existence of bottlenecks in transit times, the freight rates should be also considered as a critical factor in explaining why a particular SSS corridor is more/less competitive than its road alternative. For that reason, we perform an econometric analysis to determine the main drivers of maritime prices in several SSS routes and quantify to what extent the instruments promoted by EU maritime policies – higher frequencies, fiercer competition or direct subsidies – favour real price reductions on them.

The establishment of the Danish International Ship Register (DIS) and its connections to the maritime cluster

This article discusses the development of second ship registers and their interconnections to the policy idea of maritime clusters. Through a narrative of the contemporary history of Danish maritime policy, the article shows how these apparently different policy measures were closely related and together constitute a coherent framework based upon specific values, views of cause–effect relationships, and perceptions of major challenges and their context. Danish maritime policy provides an excellent case for the study of the contemporary history of maritime policy-making. Denmark was among the first of the traditional shipping nations to set up a second register, and the concept of maritime clusters became part of Danish maritime policy before it emerged as a construct in European Union maritime policy. We provide detail on the unfolding of some of the most important recent events in Danish maritime policy and highlight its development as a process of learning that involves the prolonged drafting and fine-tuning of statements and ideas, and the borrowing and adjustment of policy ideas developed elsewhere.

Maritime interests in the EU policy-making: Structures, practices, and governability of collective action

Throughout Europe, a number of maritime interests have re-targeted their lobbying structures and strategies aiming to influence the development of the maritime related European Union (EU) policies. The paper examines these maritime interests’ mobilisation in the making of the Common EU Maritime Transport Policy (CMTP). First, it provides a review of the role of these interest groups and the implications of the observed collective interests’ representation. Then, with the contribution a data-set of replies to a questionnaire distributed to all the interest groups that are involved in EU maritime affairs, the paper analyses the variety of interest groups representing the maritime sector in EU affairs. The focus is on the structures (i.e. membership numbers and types, location, internal structures, budget) and the lobbying practices of the 37 identified EU level maritime related organisations. The paper also presents an evaluation of the most positive and most negative parameters of the ‘EU environment’ and the ‘economic environment’ that assist, or undermine, the governability cohesiveness of this collective action. This study provides information on whether and under what conditions maritime interests are able to form comprehensive EU-level organisations capable of representing their members and their interests in the EU policy making process

Book Review: Globalisation, Policy and Shipping: Fordism, Post-Fordism and the European Union Maritime Sector

Book Review: Globalisation, Policy and Shipping: Fordism, Post-Fordism and the European Union Maritime Sector

Globalisation, Policy and Shipping – Fordism, Post-Fordism and the European Union Maritime Sector

Globalisation, Policy and Shipping – Fordism, Post-Fordism and the European Union Maritime Sector

Maritime Europe and EU enlargement. A geopolitical perspective

Abstract The 2004 enlargement of the European Union (EU), as well as the further enlargements planned from 2007 onwards (Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey), entail changes of a geo-political nature that not only imply an increase in size (a rise in the number of States, new boundaries), but, more especially, also involve a shift in the EU's maritime status, with its projection towards the Atlantic now being checked by a swing towards continental Europe and its inland seas. In view of the new political map being drawn up, two questions beg to be asked: to what extent is Europe's maritime condition being strengthened; and, does the new maritime Europe constitute an opportunity, or does it aggravate the already-existing problems and threats?