GREEK MARITIME POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL DIMENSIONS: A STRONG PRESENCE IN THE EU AND IMO.

Abstract

The Greek maritime policy is an initiative of the competent institution called the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy (MMAIP). In recent years, an attempt has been made at tripartite maritime cooperation with the respective ministries of Cyprus and Malta, which should be continued.[1] The agenda of the meetings concerns the exchange of views and the prospect of a possible formation of a common position on a number of current important maritime policy issues at the EU level. At the center is the ongoing, controversial, in the EU issue of supporting a common European position of all EU Member States (M-S) in the IMO. With this policy, the European Commission attempts the formal and substantial substitution of M-S in the IMO by the EU, in its capacity as an autonomous legal entity

This perspective, based on the experience of the past, has more negative than positive elements for Greek shipping and more generally for the orderly and efficient operation of the IMO as an international shipping organization of global scope. The above-mentioned meetings therefore show that the seriousness of the issue has been realized and the prospect of a structured continuation with expanded participation of other EU Member States, signals the positive outcome of this move, especially for the interests of the Greek and Greek-owned shipping.