The study, conducted by Maritime UK, found that despite an overwhelming 80% of respondents agreeing that the UK should remain in the European Union, 64% believed that the EU’s principle of “ever closer union” was no longer relevant and should be scrapped.
“It seems clear that the industry wants to be in Europe, but change is required for the benefit of the UK and indeed all European nations,” said Jeffrey Evans, Maritime UK chairman. “There is no doubt that the single market has been of significant importance to the UK’s maritime services and the industry supports it, but the sea of regulation coming from Brussels is often unnecessary and at times damaging.”
A recent example is the EU Sulphur Directive, which will force operators in the English channel, Baltic Sea and North Sea to reduce their sulphur output from 3.5% to 0.1% by 2020.
One North Sea study by AMEC proved the Directive would require freight rates to rise 36% in order for shipowners to maintain current levels of profitability, forcing more freight onto lorries and thereby actually resulting in more pollution.
Some 69% of respondents indicated that the IMO was sufficient governance for the maritime sector, with only 16% responding that the EU should be in charge. The IMO “provides the international industry with a global level playing field,” said Evans, “but when the EU gets involved it can put that level playing field at risk and damage competitiveness.
“Given the UK is a major maritime power, we are disproportionately affected.”
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