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Job opportunities for European seafarers must be fostered
30 October 2008
 |  |  view larger image | | | French MEP Gilles Savary and Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani at the seminar in Brussels | |
European Union politicians have declared that it is vital to increase employment opportunities at sea if the current decline in European seafarers is to be turned around. They came to this conclusion at a seminar on 16 October in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
The public event, held under the auspices of the Party of European Socialists, and chaired by MEPs Gilles Savary and Emanual Jardim Fernandes, was part of a campaign by the ITF’s European arm, the ETF, to improve European seafarers’ social and working conditions and safeguard their jobs. Among those attending the event was European Commission Vice President responsible for Transport, Antonio Tajani.
The main debate centred on the need to increase employment opportunities for European seafarers and to foster maritime careers. Politicians acknowledged that an urgent response was needed to address the loss of maritime know-how and the down-grading of working conditions at sea. Legislators, they agreed should set the conditions for fairer competition.
In addition, Tajani welcomed the ETF charter for EU seafarers, which was presented to his cabinet during the Euro-seafarers’ demonstration in Brussels on 14 October. He announced that an open debate within the Commission would be launched to consider future policies that could respond to the ETF’s demands.
ETF Political Secretary for Maritime Transport Philippe Alfonso said: “We do appreciate Commissioner Tajani’s commitment to take a number of steps. These include investigating further the misuse of state aid guidelines, which is hindering the creation of more jobs for EU nationals, and working with other commissioners to tackle discrimination against EU seafarers. The ETF will closely follow through on the commission’s proposals to ensure that the pledges are turned into concrete political initiatives”.
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