On the occasion of today's annual meeting of Assarmatori held in Rome, the president of the shipowners' association, Stefano Messina, wondered if "it has ever been It is possible for our country to financially support seafarers in international and cruise services and not seafarers, almost all if not all Italians, who work on ships used in short-sea services and in particular in connections with the islands that ensure continuity territorial? This, he observed, is perhaps the reason for We have given up measuring the phenomenon of non-seafarers European countries by not equipping ourselves with a digital registry of seafarers? Of Of course, it is an unacceptable distortion, on which there has been the European Commission pronounced, inviting Italy to respect European rules. We will fight to enforce these rules and to bring a concrete benefit to a sector that needs be placed at the centre of employment support policies".

In addition, Assarmatori took the opportunity to renew the exhortation to a targeted intervention by the Italian State to Promoting the renewal and rejuvenation of ferry fleets in a market that - the association noted - cannot be financially supported only by private funding. "The largest ferry fleet in the world, the Italian one - ha Messina explained - cannot be renewed exclusively with the resources of the shipowners and it is time to tell the truth on the ETS fairy tale, the "ecological" levy on goods and passengers that was supposed to produce revenues for the maritime sector in order to finance innovation, renewal of the fleet, safety. This is not the case." The President of the association specified that, on the other hand, 50% of these funds "It is now destined to buffer the public debt. One mode that needs to be changed, redirecting those resources to the sector that generated them and thus addressing, in the issue of the renewal of the ferry fleet; renewal for which a concrete intervention of the State that supports the initiatives of shipowners".

Messina also highlighted the theme of the relaunch of the European shipbuilding, back in hot news at the In light of the ongoing trade wars and the crusade launched by the American administration, for the creation not only of a shipbuilding, but also of a shipbuilding offer that is an alternative to the Asian monopoly: "in Europe - - there are those who would like to support an approach protectionist which, instead of actively promoting the competitiveness of European shipyards, could pave the way protectionist measures for those who do not choose the "Made in Europe". As with the ETS, EU policies generate strong contradictions between method and objectives to be achieved. We are in favour and absolutely convinced, and in this the shipowners are ready to play their part, of the need to relaunch the European shipbuilding industry in segments where it has lost leadership and skills. However - Messina underlined - this objective cannot be pursued through mere policies Protectionist. It is necessary to redesign, in line with the market, a State aid scheme in favour of European shipyards".

The president of Assarmatori then focused on on the urgency of a massive work of debureaucratization of navigation and digitization, factors - highlighted - which would boost the competitiveness of a Italian flag, which instead continues to lose tonnage due to flagging out to the flags of other States, including EU countries, that offer reduced time and simplified procedures.