Adina-Ioana
Vălean
Commissioner for Transport
European Commission
MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL
AFFAIRS
Dear Commissioner Adina-Ioana
Vălean,
Please accept my warmest congratulations on your appointment as
Commissioner for Transport.
As a nation with strong maritime interests, the Danish Government is
deeply committed to ensuring the quality and competitiveness of the Eu-
ropean maritime transport sector, which is of vital importance to the Eu-
ropean economy and labour market. However, climate change and global
competition challenge the prosperity of the maritime transport sector in
Europe.
To face these challenges, I consider it the joint task of the new Commis-
sion and the Member States to ensure a viable European maritime
transport sector. A sector that is a global maritime power hub for quality
shipping and can place key strategic priorities onto the global agenda.
This includes transforming the EU into a key driver for decarbonisation
and green growth, whilst also providing attractive framework conditions
for the shipping industry to increase the attractiveness of EU Member
State ship registries.
To make sure shipping can reach zero emissions, research and develop-
ment of new technologies and fuels is needed. This is crucial if the mari-
time sector is to decarbonise fully, and the EU can play a major role in
this regard. In addition, it is paramount that a global ambitious goal-based
regulation is adopted as soon as possible within the IMO to make sure the
sector starts decarbonisation. In anticipation of such results, we also need
to make sure that any EU measures with regard to greenhouse gas emis-
sions from shipping are flag neutral, avoid carbon leakage and do not
hinder the development of global rules within the IMO. That way, emis-
sions can be brought down effectively and fair competition on the world
market for the European maritime sector is ensured.
Speaking more generally, in a global perspective, the key role of the EU
is to support the enforcement and harmonisation of the global regulatory
framework developed in organisations such as the International Maritime
Organization and the International Labour Organization.
MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, BUSI-
NESS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
Slotsholmsgade 10-12
DK-1216 Copenhagen K
Tlf.
Fax
+45 33 92 33 50
+45 33 12 37 78
CVR-nr. 10 09 24 85
EAN nr. 5798000026001
www.em.dk