EUROPEAN SHIPOWNERS BACK WTO SHIPPING TALKS
The European Community Shipowners’ Associations, based
in Brussels, said that it supports a liberalization of shipping through the World Trade
Organization.
The European shipowners’ group said that the European countries and
European shipping have prepared the WTO discussions on services, including maritime
services, expected to start following the Seattle WTO ministerial conference in November.
"ECSA is aiming at the greatest possible liberal trading
environment with, as a basic requirement, free access to markets and national treatment
for the main pillars – sea transport, port services and ancillary services," a
spokesman for the shipowners’ group said.
ECSA said that a maritime liberalization agreement should include
"effective, transparent and fast dispute settlement procedures."
It will be essential that a sufficient critical mass of countries,
including the U.S., takes part in the talks and come to an agreement with "concrete
liberalizing commitments," the group said.
ECSA reported that the co-operation between the EC, EU member states
and the industry to further enhance the EU maritime external relations policy has been
intensified in the past year.