Welcome to European Shipping Summit

19 - 20 MARCH, 2025

Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels

6G Global Summit 2023

Event Overview

The European Shipping Summit 2025 will take place on the 19-20 March 2025 at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. The two-day event will include engaging industry sessions, networking opportunities, and high-level dialogues featuring European and international policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders. Be sure to save the date! You can find a small recap of the previous European Shipping Summit 2023 below.

Pictures ESS 2023

aftermovie ESS 2023

Key Themes 2023

Environment

People

Industry

Speakers 2023

José Manuel Barroso - Headshot
José Manuel Barroso
Former President, European Commission
Official portrait of Margaritis Schinas
Margaritis Schinas
Vice-President of the European Commission
Magda Kopczynska
Magda Kopczynska
Director-General DG MOVE, European Commission
Emanuele Grimaldi
Emanuele Grimaldi
Chair ICS, President & MD Grimaldi Euromed
Vassilios Kroustallis
Vassilios Kroustallis
Senior Vice President, Global Business Development & Global Marine, ABS
Aaron Farrugia
Aaron Farrugia
Minister for Transport, Malta
Beatriz Yordi
Beatriz Yordi
Director, DG CLIMA, European Commission
Benito Nunes Quintanilla
Benito Nunez Quintanilla
Director General, Merchant Marine, Ministry of Transport, Spain
fafalios
Dimitrios Fafalios
Secretary of the UGS Board of Directors & Chairman of INTERCARGO
Elpi Petraki
Elpi Petraki
President WISTA International
Erik Nyheim
Erik Nyheim
CEO Höegh LNG
Eric Banel
Erik Banel
General Director for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Sea, France
Fotini Ioannidou
Fotini Ioannidou
Acting Director DG Move, Waterborne Transport, Head of Maritime Safety Unit, European Commission
Julia Nelson
Julia Nielson
Deputy Director, Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD
TRAN Committee - Public hearing on future challenges for the rail infrastructure.Single European Track Access charges and investments needed towards decarbonisation
Karima Delli
Member of European Parliament, Chair Transport Committee, European Parliament
Livia Spera
Livia Spera
Secretary General, European Transport Workers Federation
EP Plenary session - European Medicines Agency
Peter Liese
Member of European Parliament, Environment Committee, European Parliament
Pierre Sames
Dr. Pierre C Sames
Senior Vice President, Strategic Development Director Maritime, DNV
speaker ecsa
Roel Hoenders
Head of Climate Action and Clean Air at International Maritime Organization
Rolf Habben Jansen
Rolf Habben Jansen
CEO, Hapag-Lloyd
Roxana Lesovici
Roxana Lesovici
Cabinet Expert, Commissioner for Transport, European Commission
Torben Carlsen
Torben Carlsen
CEO DFDS & Chair Danish Shipping
Vera Tax
Vera Tax
Member of European Parliament, Transport Committee, European Parliament
William Todts
William Todts
Executive Director, Transport & Environment

Moderator 2023

Richard Meade

Lloyd’s List, Editor in Chief

Download the agenda for both days:

European Shipping Summit Day 1
2023-09-19
European Shipping Summit Day 2
2023-09-20
09:00 - 09:30
Welcome Coffee
09:30 - 10:30
Welcome Sessions

Environment – Choosing shipping “How to increase the share of maritime transport in Europe’s trade”
(Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR)/ Interferry/ Confitarma/ Spanish Shipowners’ Association (ANAVE)/Joint Cyprus Shipowners’ Association (JCSA))

 

Industry – “Maritime transport, enabler of European strategic autonomy through the Global Gateway” (European Dredging Association (EuDA))

 

People – “Fair transition and human centered decarbonization for seafarers” (European Transport Federation (ETF)/ European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) / International Chamber of Shipping (ICS))

10:30 - 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:00
Morning Sessions

Environment – “Charting a course to green marine fuels – the role of Europe” (World Shipping Council (WSC))

 

Industry– Europe goes dark without shipping “The Crucial Role of Shipping in Safeguarding the EU’s Energy Security and Supply”
(Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS)/ German Shipowners’ Association (VDR))

 

People – Shipping and the growth of offshore wind (Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA))

12:00 - 13:00
Lunch
13:00 - 14:00
Afternoon Sessions

Environment – “Shipping for net-zero Europe” (European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)/ Transport & Environment (T&E) /International Association of Classification Societies (IACS))

 

Industry – “Challenges and Opportunities for the Competitiveness and Resilience of the Maritime Technology Industry in the light of
geopolitics and the twin green/digital transition” (SeaEurope/ Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) /European Tugowners Association (ETA))

 

People – “Dangerous Trade: joining forces against drug trafficking” (World Shipping Council (WSC) / European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA))

14:00 - 14:30
Coffee Break
14:30 - 15:30
Closing Sessions

Environment – FuelEU implementation (European Commission / European Seaports Organisation (ESPO) / European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA))

 

Industry – Financing the green transition (ECSA/Danish Ship Finance)

 

People – Setting a New Compass: Embracing the Ship Recycling Revolution (BIMCO)/ Royal Belgian Shipowners Association (KBRV))

 

:arrow_right:  Following this session, Belgian shipowners invite you to join a presentation by the Great Whale Conservancy on “How European shipping can lead the way in saving whales?”

09:00 - 10:30
Registrations & Welcome coffee
10:30 - 10:35
Welcome on behalf of the ESS organisers

European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)

Welcome on behalf of the ESS organisers image
Sotiris Raptis
Secretary General, ECSA
10:35 - 11:00
Opening of the ESS

European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)

Opening of the ESS image
Philippos Philis
President, ECSA
11:00 - 11:30
Keynote
Keynote image
José Manuel Barroso
Former President, European Commission
11:30 - 12:00
First Panel: Shipping and European security
First Panel: Shipping and European security image
José Manuel Barroso
Former President, European Commission
First Panel: Shipping and European security image
Aaron Farrugia
Minister for Transport, Malta
First Panel: Shipping and European security image
Vera Tax
Member of European Parliament, Transport Committee, European Parliament
First Panel: Shipping and European security image
Erik Nyheim
CEO Höegh LNG
First Panel: Shipping and European security image
Dimitrios Fafalios
Secretary of the UGS Board of Directors & Chairman of INTERCARGO
12:00 - 12:20
Keynote
Keynote image
Rolf Habben Jansen
CEO Hapag Lloyd
12:20 - 13:00
Second Panel: Maintaining Europe’s competitive edge
Second Panel: Maintaining Europe’s competitive edge image
Roxana Lesovici
Cabinet Expert, Commissioner for Transport, European Commission
Second Panel: Maintaining Europe’s competitive edge image
Peter Liese
Member of European Parliament, Environment Committee, European Parliament
Second Panel: Maintaining Europe’s competitive edge image
Julia Nielson
Deputy Director, Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD
Second Panel: Maintaining Europe’s competitive edge image
Eric Banel
General Director for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Sea, France
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch break
14:00 - 14:20
Keynote
Keynote image
Vassilios Kroustallis
Senior Vice President, Global Business Development & Global Marine, ABS
14:20 - 15:00
Third Panel: Delivering the energy transition
Third Panel: Delivering the energy transition image
Torben Carlsen
CEO DFDS & Chair Danish Shipping
Third Panel: Delivering the energy transition image
Beatriz Yordi
Director, DG CLIMA, European Commission
Third Panel: Delivering the energy transition image
Karima Delli
Member of European Parliament, Chair Transport Committee, European Parliament
Third Panel: Delivering the energy transition image
William Todts
Executive Director, Transport & Environment
Third Panel: Delivering the energy transition image
Roel Hoenders
Head of Climate Action and Clean Air at International Maritime Organization
15:00 - 15:30
Coffee break
15:30 - 15:50
Keynote
Keynote image
Emanuele Grimaldi
Chair ICS, President & MD Grimaldi Euromed
15:50 - 16:30
Fourth Panel: Ensuring a people-centred transition
Fourth Panel: Ensuring a people-centred transition image
Fotini Ioannidou
Acting Director DG Move, Head of Maritime Safety Unit, European Commission
Fourth Panel: Ensuring a people-centred transition image
Dr. Pierre C Sames
Senior Vice President, Strategic Development Director Maritime, DNV
Fourth Panel: Ensuring a people-centred transition image
Benito Nunez Quintanilla
Director General, Merchant Marine, Ministry of Transport, Spain
Fourth Panel: Ensuring a people-centred transition image
Elpi Petraki
President WISTA International
Fourth Panel: Ensuring a people-centred transition image
Livia Spera
Secretary General, European Transport Workers Federation
16:30 - 16:50
Closing Keynote
Closing Keynote image
Magda Kopczynska
Director-General, DG MOVE, European Commission
16:50
Closing remarks from ESS organisers
Closing remarks from ESS organisers image
Sotiris Raptis
Secretary General, ECSA
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Supporting Organisations 2023

Media Partners 2023

Contact

For more information on any aspect of this event, please contact us:

Boulevard du Régent, Regentlaan 43-44, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Email: ess@ecsa.eu

Tel: +32 2 510 61 28