Between 3rd and 6th October, the Malta Maritime Summit was held at the Grand Hotel Excelsior which consolidated the authorities’ efforts to promote Malta as a centre of maritime excellence.
The International Maritime Organisation
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations which has chosen Malta to host its Maritime Summit. The IMO is an esteemed international organisation which brings together over 170 member state and sets global standards for safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. It is mainly concerned with creating a fair, but effective regulatory framework for the shipping industry which is adopted and adhered to across the board.
Malta as a centre for Maritime Excellence
Malta was chosen by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for a plethora of reasons. As an island which is strategically located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and with has access to a number of natural ports, Malta has cultivated a traditional maritime culture throughout the centuries, and now vaunts a highly reputable and sought-after flag. Malta’s importance as a maritime base stands to this very day, as it ranks top of the European maritime league and the sixth largest in the world. In fact, it is expected that Malta will see a total of 70 million tonnes being registered under its flag this year alone.
Moreover, Malta will be presiding over the Council of the European Union as of January 2017, a presidency which will last for 6 months. Maritime policy shall be a priority on the jurisdiction’s agenda during the presidency, thus, the Malta Maritime Summit served as an excellent opportunity for key players in the international maritime sphere to meet, debate and analyse the present European Union Maritime strategy and its effect on the industry.
The Malta Maritime Summit
The theme of the Malta Maritime Summit was ‘The Voice of the Industry’. The summit focused on what has been achieved thus far within the industry as this can allow us to understand the challenges which the maritime industry is facing. The harmonisation of legislation throughout different jurisdictions and the measures which need to be taken in order to safeguard the environment were two of the main issues which were discussed during the summit.
The Malta Maritime Summit attracted a number of reputable speakers and influential stakeholders in the field who over the course of three and a half days submitted conclusions and proposals following various debates.These proposals and conclusions will be formally forwarded to the Prime Minister and stakeholders for their considerations, and will also be passed on to policymakers in Malta who will be taking the presidency of the EU council in a few weeks’ time.
Lastly, the Maltese Transport Minister stated that Malta will continue to strive and work sustain its place as a leading maritime hub.
