Page 175 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΣ 2024

The Innovation Fund Info Day brought at EU/ EEA (European Economic Area) vices to European and world consumers.
together representatives of the maritime ports. As was very pertinently observed It carries energy and raw materials (oil,
cluster of activities such as the Euro- by several participants, “due to the very LNG, coal, grains, rare metals). It per-
pean Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), nature of tramp shipping, 30% of its calls forms to a great extent in cross-trading
Federation of European Private Port are not necessarily at EU ports”, and, between third countries in the oceans.
Operators (FEPORT), Shipyards & Mar- therefore, “the 30% criterion is a big The pandemic lockdowns and the geo-
itime Equipment Association of Europe challenge”. They asked that “the tramp political conflicts (Ukraine, Gaza, Red
(Sea Europe), Cruise Lines International segment particularities should be taken Sea) have provided painful evidence
Association (CLIA), as well as DG CLIMA, into account in the eligibility criteria for of its importance to our everyday lives.
DG MOVE, European Investment Bank, financing programmes” and that “the However, these services are not rewarded
European Investment Fund, and HORI- entire value chain should be addressed”. by European policymakers. In economic
ZON EUROPE officials. Successful pro- To the deep disappointment of the par- terms, it would be advisable to read the
grammes (positive and negative ele- ticipants, the response of the European gospel of tramp shipping by shipping
ments of applications) were discussed, Commission and European Investment guru Martin Stopford (The Tramp Ship-
and instructions were given as to how Bank officials was categorically negative. ping Market, Clarkson Research Stud-
interested companies should respond Tramp shipping accounts for over 75% ies, April 2004), which characterised the
to the financing criteria. The Innovation of cargo transported from the EU. How tramp sector as an example of perfect
Fund financing aims to support ship- can it be excluded from the IF beneficiary competition.
ping’s energy transition to achieve zero criteria? Tramp shipping involves trans- However, since this study is probably not
GHG emissions by 2050. portation by tankers and bulk carriers among the best sellers in Brussels, one
However, a significant omission in the carrying dry and liquid bulk cargoes on has to “educate” the European officials
IF funding criteria was found, namely, a non-liner basis. They are the so-called about it. In its submissions to EU poli-
tramp shipping. The beneficiaries’ crite- “taxis” of the seas as opposed to liners, cymakers regarding the beneficiaries of
ria are tailor-made to the modus operandi the “buses” of the seas that operate on various EU policies, ECSA has requested
of container ships in liner shipping. As regular lines and carry 25% of the cargo. that the particularities of all shipping
stated in the first call for the 2024 appli- While the 25% is visible to consumers and sectors be taken into account in the eli-
cations for ship financing programmes policymakers, the 75% is invisible. This is gibility criteria, specifically mentioning
on 23 November 2023, one of the criteria the elephant in the room. short-sea shipping and tramp shipping.
is that at least 30% of calls annually are Tramp shipping provides invaluable ser- This request pertains to the recipients

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