Welcome to Shipping Online!   [Sign In]
Back to Homepage
Already a Member? Sign In
News Content

FONASBA Worried About Adverse Impact of New Rules in Sulphur Emissions Control Areas in the Baltic and North seas

FONASBA’s 2014 Annual Meeting in Gothenburg elected a new Executive Committee and two new members and also reaffirmed the Federation’s commitments to its core values and activities.

After completing her term of office, Marygrace Collins of the USA handed the Presidency to Glen Gordon Findlay of Brazil. Thanking Mrs. Collins for her leadership of the organisation over the past two years, Mr. Findlay said that he was looking forward to taking the association forward and building on its increasingly influential role as the voice of the international ship broking and ship agency sectors. Elected to support Mr. Findlay as President Designate was John A. Foord, FICS, of the UK. Full details of the new Executive Committee are provided below.

FONASBA’s increasing global coverage was further enhanced at the meeting with the election of AANTA, the Angolan ship agents association, to Full membership and Agent Plus, a river shipping agency based in Serbia, to Associate membership. Welcoming both organisations to the Federation, Mr. Gordon Findlay said that FONASBA would further expand its global reach and at the same time ensure the ship agent and shipbroker continued to be better recognised and valued as vital components of the global shipping sector by legislators, policy makers and the wider maritime community.

FONASBA also continues to strengthen its relations with other industry bodies. Just prior to the Gothenburg meeting FONASBA entered into a reciprocal membership agreement with the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA), which then joined other Club members BIMCO, INTERTANKO, ITIC and the Shipbrokers’ Register at the Gothenburg meeting.

In terms of policy actions, FONASBA’s European Committee ECASBA again expressed its concerns about the adverse impact on European short sea and coastal shipping of the Sulphur Emissions Control Areas in the Baltic and North seas on 1st January 2015. Disappointment was also expressed at the failure of the fourth European port package to provide any tangible measures to enhance port service provision. ECASBA’s engagement in discussions relating to the introduction of the Union Customs Code will also be enhanced for the coming term with additional resources being made available to allow for full participation in this ongoing and vitally important dialogue.

Delegates to the Chartering & Documentary Committee plenary discussed FONASBA’s ongoing project to update and expand its current suite of standard documents, with a new proforma agency agreement being the first to be revised. The delegates also endorsed the new ITIC post-fixture clause for use in clearly identifying the correct recipient of all operational messages following conclusion of a charter. Delegates also enjoyed two lively and interesting panel discussions on the tanker and dry cargo broking sectors.

The Liner & Port Agency Committee, whilst fully supporting the concept of mandatory weighing of containers, also expressed its concerns at the lack of readiness of member states ahead of the introduction of the relevant measures in 2016. FONASBA is therefore recommending that all its member associations remain in close contact with their national marine authorities. The likely practical impact on ship agency and port operations in member states was also highlighted.

FONASBA is the only organisation representing the global ship agency and ship broking professions. Established in 1969 it now has members in more than 50 countries, including all major maritime and trading nations. Its remit is to “promote and protect the professions of ship agency and ship broking worldwide”, a task which it undertakes through dialogue with its member associations and its consultative status with IMO, UNCTAD, UNCITRAL and the World Customs Organisation, as well with the European Commission and other regional bodies. FONASBA also enjoys reciprocal memberships with the Baltic Exchange, BIMCO, INTERTANKO, the International Port Community Systems Association, indemnity insurer ITIC and the Shipbrokers’ Register and works closely with all other maritime sector bodies, both internationally and in Europe.
Source: FONASBA

About Us| Service| Membership and Fee| AD Service| Help| Sitemap| Links| Contact Us| Terms of Use