With over 100 ports along the North Sea coastline, vessels calling any one of these ports can access a wide range of services for international shipping business, including ship supply services. From supplying foods to technical spare parts and anything in between, vessels calling the ports in the North Sea cannot do without a ship chandler. In this article, we explore why ship supply remains essential for the maritime industry in Northern Europe.

Remco De Bruijn serves as the Tax Director for B&S International BV. As a VAT specialist, he is also the head of the OCEAN VAT subgroup. With over two decades of experience in indirect taxes for one of Europe's major IT companies in the consumer goods industry, he responds to challenging questions from the OCEAN Secretariat about the role of VAT in European ship supply.

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most important seas in the world, both for its economic and geopolitical importance. It is a sea that has been crossed by numerous civilizations throughout history, and even today it represents a point of passage for many people who are seeking a better life in Europe.

I see the Mediterranean Sea consisting of 2 parts:

• East Mediterranean (Eastern Mediterranean or Levantine Sea)
• West Mediterranean (Western Mediterranean or Maghreb Sea or Iberian Peninsula)

The East Mediterranean Sea, where the Panhellenic ship suppliers and exporters association  is situated, for us is of the most significant waterways in the globe, connecting several major landmasses in Europe.

Since time immemorial, the Mediterranean Sea has been an essential source of food. It has fostered the growth of several civilizations, but also served as a battlefield for ages. Whatever happened in the Mediterranean, ship supply was always present. We are proud to serve the vessels calling our ports.

Ports in the Mediterranean Sea

In the Mediterranean, there are numerous ports that allow ships to approach in order to carry out their transport activities (disembarkation and embarkation of goods and people), as well as to be supplied with the necessary supplies for movement (fuel, lubricants), for operation (anchors, ropes, etc.) and for maintenance of the ship in good condition (paints and various other materials), as well as for the welfare of the people who work or are served on the ship (crew, passengers, etc. ).

Some of these ports are owned by European Union member states, while others belong to third parties on the European, African, and Asian coastlines. The ports in the Mediterranean Sea are located in a number of countries, such as Algeria, France, Malta, Tunisia, Italy, and Spain. The ports can be divided into two main categories:

• Ports that are located on the coast of the country (coastal ports)
• Ports that are not on the coast but are connected by waterways with coastal ports (sea ports)

We, Europe’s ship suppliers, can serve them all.

The first category includes ports such as Marseille (France), Genoa (Italy), Tunis (Tunisia), Alexandria (Egypt) and Algiers (Algeria). They are all accessible from other parts of Europe via the sea, and their main purpose is to serve vessels that come from these parts of Europe. These ports have a good infrastructure suitable for handling large ships, and they usually have more than one pier to allow simultaneous loading and unloading operations.

The second category includes ports such as Piraeus (Greece), Venice (Italy), Barcelona (Spain) and Valencia (Spain). They are not directly accessible from other parts of Europe via the sea but they have access to other parts of Europe via inland waterways such as rivers or canals. Their main purpose is to serve vessels that come from these inland waterways or even from overseas countries.

The main ports in the European Union are:

• Croatia: Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik
• Cyprus: Limassol, Larnaca
• France: Marseille, Nice, Bastia, Ajaccio
• Greece: Piraeus, Eleusina, Patras, Igoumenitsa, Pylos, Heraclion, Thessaloniki, Volos, Alexandroupoli, Kavala, Rodos, Corfu
• Italy: Genoa, Livorno, Naples, Gioia Tauro, Palermo, Ancona, Trieste, Brindisi, Venice
• Malta: Valetta, Marsaxlokk Malta free port
• Spain: Carthagena, Algeciras, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Tarragona, Malaga

The main ports of the Mediterranean Sea belonging to third countries are:

• Albania: Durres
• Algeria: Oran, Alger
• Egypt: Alexandria, Port said
• Israel: Haifa
• Lebanon: Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon/saida
• Libya: Tipoli, Benghazi
• Syria: Latakia, Tartus
• Tunisia: Port  of Randes, Sfax, Bizerte – Menzel
• Turkey: Ismir, Mersin

Benefits of SSS

Looking at a map of the Mediterranean, we can observe that the distance between various nations' ports is relatively small. That is why short sea shipping was created.  Short sea shipping, abbreviated as SSS, is the maritime transport of goods over relatively short distances, as opposed to intercontinental cross-ocean deep-sea shipping. In the Mediterranean, SSS is a common feature

I think SSS is part of the solution for some of our key challenges in the transportation world today. Major benefits include reduced congestion, reduced air pollution, and total cost savings for the shipper and the government. Shipping goods by ship (one vessel is comparable to between 100–200 vehicles) is significantly more efficient and cost-effective than road transport (albeit items must be moved and delivered by truck if going inland) and is far less prone to theft and damage.

Short-sea shipping accounts for over 40% of all freight handled in Europe. It encompasses point-to-point freight transfers on inland canals as well as inland to ocean ports for transportation across seas as well as services to and from islands, rivers, and lakes. You can imagine how important this is for our members, with Greece being, partly, an island nation.  Today, SSS connects freight and passengers between ports in Europe or ports in non-European nations and represents great opportunities for ship supply. The Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association talks on matters SSS and we are delighted to work with them.

Ship supplies play an important role in SSS. Our supplies are accessible at extremely cheap rates and may compete well with ship supplies offered in European Union ports.

Restrictions to ship supply in the Mediterranean

Many European Union Member States have implemented limitations on ship supply, either by eliminating duty and tax exemptions for certain ships, prohibiting exemptions for specific commodities, or imposing restrictions on the exemption system.

Consider the exemption limits for supplies for certain kinds of ships. My own nation ought to be mentioned here. Despite the fact that EU law clearly creates the potential of exemption for warships heading for a port outside the Member State, Greece does not exempt products supplied to foreign vessels that do not belong to NATO states from customs duty, taxes, and VAT. Furthermore, there is no exemption in Greece for items delivered to professional tourist ships that go throughout the Aegean islands and end up in Turkish ports. Finally, there is no exception in Greece for commodities delivered to anybody other than the shipowner (exploiters of restaurants and bar of the vessel). I out it to you as a valuable reader, is this correct?

Limitations on the kind or quantity of selected suppliers + red tape

Consider the following two examples:

There is a very low allowance for on-board consumption of cigarettes and alcoholic drinks in Spain due to Excise Duty and VAT restrictions. It will have an effect on sailors, who work so hard on ships. Or take Italy, in order to sail offshore in Italian waters, shipowners must have a certificate valid only in Italy issued to them. No other EU member states have such a mandate. Fair?

As a result of the aforementioned issues, shipowners are increasingly restocking their vessels from ports in nations outside the Mediterranean basin, cutting into the profits of European Union-based ship supply companies. If Europe is going to be competitive on the world stage, we think the EU Commission should prioritize ship supply as a European economic activity. Perhaps OCEAN might provide a hand by advocating, at the EU Commission level, for a more uniform implementation of Article 148 of Council Directive 2006/112 / EC.

Takeaway

EU and national legislators of ship supply and port issues must recognize the importance of its ship supply sector and remove burdens from it. The lack of recognition of ship supply as an economic activity has not helped the EU-based companies to be efficient and reach their full potential. If the EU Commission and national authorities were to take more seriously the needs of ship supply companies, I think it could better shape and address the challenges that have arisen with increasing globalization of maritime commerce.

Nick Mavrikos

President of the Panhellenic Ship Supplies and Exporters Association

 What will the new German government mean for the martitime sector in Germany and the EU? The German Shipsuppliers Association reflects.

KBBS Chairman Jan Vets explains in this insightful piece how the Royal Belgian Shipsuppliers Association is supporting the maritime industry in Belgium.

Because of Turkey being in such an important region, there has been a need of an association for the ship suppliers all around Turkey to gather under one roof. This is how TURSSA – TURKISH SHIP SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION was born. Turssa Chairman of the Board of Directors George Saris explains

 D. Cupido, OCEAN Vice-Chair reflects on 45 years of European integration and harmonization work in European ship supply.

In the debate on the right customs guidance for EU ship suppliers, the Chairman of the OCEAN Working Group Customs & Taxation weighs in to ask a fundamental question: When have ship supplies left the EU?

 OCEAN Chaiman W. Sump and ISSA President Saeed Al Malik join forces to discuss priorities for 2021 for the International and European ship supply industry.

  "The German ship supply industry requests further EU support measures that enable a fast and effective crisis recovery management across the entire German and European maritime industry", Chair J. Pfeiffer said. 

Effective measures include, in particular, appropriate support for shipping, shipbuilding and its supply industry, port management, maritime logistics and, last but not least, ship suppliers. We need compensation for the hard cuts and losses of recent times.  We need quick, effective and suitable support measures that allow us to restart "normal" operations, structures and processes swiftly.

Spain, along with Italy, were the two countries initially most affected by the outbreak of the global pandemic, COVID-19. Mid-March 2020, the Spanish Government declared a state of emergency. AESMAR, the Spanish Ship Suppliers Association recalls how their members experienced the "lockdown". In this report, the association explains that they jumped into action to ensure that vital ship supply support services can continue to help Spain recover from this unprecedented crisis.

Though the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has caused a slowdown in maritime trade, outside the force majeure factor the ship supply sector in Turkey continues to grow steadily, according to George Saris, President of the Turkish Ship Suppliers Association (TURSSA).

The integration of customs legislation into a single community customs code and the provisions regulating value-added tax and excise duties on petroleum, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, combined with the work of the European Ship Suppliers Organization (OCEAN), have highlighted the need for harmonised ship supplying procedures in all EU Member States for the surveillance of products delivered to ships.

N. Mavrikos, the Chair of the Hellenic Ship Suppliers Association and OCEAN Board member reflects on why the current EU ship supply guidance is no longer enough.

OCEAN, the European Ship Suppliers Organization, supports the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) in their efforts to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products. As N. Proios, Members of OCEAN's Working Group for Veterinary and Health Matters explains, the close cooperation between the European Commission and the European Ship Supply Industry ensures that the new EU-system achieves its goals when it comes to serving the many foreign vessels calling EU-ports each day.

 Ship suppliers should be given ‘essential worker’ status to enable them to keep the EU’s ships stocked with vital supplies and spare parts during the global coronavirus pandemic, says the European Ship Suppliers Organization

After a process of almost nine years in which OCEAN, the European Ship Suppliers Organization participated as one of the stakeholders in many rounds of consultations workshops, seminars, position paper exchanges and other initiatives, new rules regarding official health controls gradually became applicable with the main application entering into force on 14 December 2019. A couple of months into the new law, it's time we look and assess what these controls mean for the European Ship Supply Industry and what the impact has been.

An important part of OCEAN’s role in representing your interests as members, is working with the various regulatory bodies in Brussels so we are delighted to have been named as a valued Supporting Organisation for the forthcoming European Shipping Week 2020 (ESW2020) that will be held in Brussels in the week of Feb 17 to 21. OCEAN Vice-President D. Cupido reflects on this extraordinary event. 

In 2019, the leadership team of OCEAN was renewed. First, S. Moloney took over as Administrative Secretary General working from the UK. Next, K. Maier became new Secretary General for the Brussels office. In November, the new Chair W. Sump and Vice-Chair D. Cupido were elected. Time to sit down with all four and have a chat.

S. Al Malik, ISSA President reflects on why attending ISSA64 Convention and Trade Exhibition next month is crucial for European Ship Suppliers.

The Finnish Ship Suppliers Association visited St. Petersburg in September. The primary purpose of the trip was to visit the NEVA 2019 Exhibition and Trade Fair, which ws celebrating 31 Years Development of the Russian Commercial Maritime Industries from 21 - 24 September 2021.

F.A. Pinto took over the chairmanship of the OCEAN’s Working Group on Customs and Taxation in 2019. He reflects on why the work of this specialized group is more important today than ever before.  

 The OCEAN Board, at its meeting in Brussels on 11 October 2019, elected W. Sump, Vice-Chair of the German Verband Deutscher Schiffsausrüster e.V. of the as new Chair of OCEAN. 

 The Chairman of OCEAN has a clear message to all EU shipsuppliers: VOTE in the European Elections!

 The Ship Supplier is published regularly by ISSA, with valuable information for ship suppliers, ship owners, ship managers and all those involved in supplying ships

 (Associazione Nazionale Provveditori Appaltatori Navali), the National Association of Italian ship chandlers and maritime catering companies, was established in 1971 thanks to the vision of the pioneers of the modern ship supply business in Italy.

Shipping is entering an interesting phase with smart technology and the drive for greater efficiencies influencing how shipowners and managers react to market conditions. While ship recycling levels work to tackle the tonnage supply/demand imbalance, shipowners are still under pressure to drive costs down and maximise every opportunity to make profit.

John Davey, Representative on the OCEAN Board for BASS, the British Association of Ship Suppliers (BASS) and OCEAN Vice President explains what Brexit means for European ship supply.

Read what it means

OCEAN Associate Member,TURSSA, is delighted to welcome ship suppliers from various countries – many of them in Europe – to meetings and networking at this year’s 63rd ISSA Convention & Trade Exhibition  in Istanbul, TURKEY. Read about what interesting and enriching programme awaits them and what having the world in Turkey means to TURSSA.

 The next set of OCEAN meetings have been announced

OCEAN congratulated Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, for a further five-year term re-election. Dr. Mikurya was guest of honour at OCEAN’s 40th anniversary celebration in 2016. 

 The new President of ISSA reflects of the importance of close collaboration between OCEAN and ISSA.

2018 is the year the European Union celebrates the 50th anniversary of the EU Customs Union. We reflect on what it means to European Ship Suppliers.

The Portuguese Ship Suppliers’ Association was registered as “Associação Portuguesa de Fornecedores de Navios” on 18th July 2003, succeeding the former ship suppliers’ association that has been inactive for a long time. Here is a presentation of the proud organisation.

”Men having been going to sea in ships for centuries; other men having been supplying those ships for just as long”

For the first time the Bulgarian Ship Suppliers Association will have the honour to welcome the annual OCEAN Board meeting and OCEAN Customs and Taxations Working Group meetings. The event will be held in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on 26th and 27th April during the period of the first Bulgarian EU Presidency. The Chairman proudly presents BSSA and reflects on the role of ship supply for his country.

The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union began in January 2018, a decade after the accession of the country to the EU, and will be running for 6 months until June 2018. The presidency is under Bulgaria’s national motto - “United We Stand”, which reflects the core values of cooperation of the European Union. The honour of the EU presidency also brought the great responsibility to highlight important issues for the Union. Bulgaria is focusing on several priorities - The Future of Europe and young people, Western Balkans, Security and stability, and The Digital economy. These issues resonate within the context of the maritime industry and the development of strong European ship supply sector.

OCEAN Board and OCEAN Working Group for Customs & Taxation to visit Bulgaia during EU Presidency on 26 & 27 April 2018

The proud Sveriges Skeppshandlareförbund, represented by its Chairman Keijo Hiltunen presents itself and highlights the importance of ship supplying for Northern Europe!

Mr. Meriaux, the Secretary General of OCEAN's Brussels Office looks into the future and discusses what is on the horizon for OCEAN in 2018.

The European ship supply industry has seen some turbulent times, as political and economic changes and election results have had and continue to have an impact on our business. Nevertheless, make no mistake about it: European ship suppliers remain a reliable, strong and stable partner to all vessels, their captains, ship owners and ship managers calling European Ports!

Greece was selected for 2017 to host the 62nd International Convention & Conference of International Ship Suppliers & Services Association (ISSA) on 10-11 November 2017 in Athens at DIVANI HOTEL, expecting to attract members from 2,000 ISSA ship supplies companies in 95 countries.

 As the ISSA Secretary Spencer Eade writes, OCEAN’s support of the EU measures to improve working conditions of seafarers on board of EU-flagged vessels is another tangible measure in how the global ship supply community has supported the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) provisions on crew abandonment that came into force earlier this year. ISSA & OCEAN stand shoulder to shoulder with seafarers in the EU and globally against crew abandonment.

The British Association of Ship Suppliers is now over 100 years of age and presents itself here.

ISSA Members from some 50 countries – many of them in Europe – will be meeting and networking at this year’s 62nd ISSA Convention & Trade Show in Athens, Greece.

 After a very successful 40th birthday celebration in 2016, the Board of OCEAN met in Brussels last month for its bi-annual gathering to define the general political direction and priorities for the European Ship suppliers Organisation for the months and years to come and to take some important decisions. 

European ship suppliers have always dealt with ship provisions. A major part of the food for crew or passengers is of animal origin. This tends to be uncomplicated when you sell the products within domestic markets, as goods for local shops or supermarkets are usually of EU origin or come from countries outside the EU (“third countries”), but will have been custom-cleared and checked by the EU border inspection posts, i.e. the veterinary authorities.

The Spanish Shipsuppliers Association (AESMAR) was founded in 1977, with the objective of looking after the interest of shipsuppliers and giving a voice to our industry in national and international forums, with National and Local Administrations, Customs and Tax Authorities, National Port Authority and other entities and associations.

 The president of the Hellenic Ship Suppliers & Exporters Association, Nikolaos Mavrikos, proudly explains how the ship supply industry has made a substantial contribution to Greece’s raise as a maritime nation and power.

The Chair of OCEAN reflects on a successful 40th anniversary  of OCEAN in 2016 and the challenges that lie ahead with a European Union under pressure.

Madame Michèle GUILBERT - DANNEELS, French Member of the OCEAN Working Group on Customs & Taxation and Customs Manager of SAS GHESQUIERS JPG in Calais explains how the French Ship Suppliers Association SNAN has progressed in 2016, why French ship supply matters and how it is treated in French legislation.

As former chairman of OCEAN from 2006-2011 and for decades member of the board of  the “Koninklijke Belgische Beroepsvereniging der Scheepsbevoorraders” (Royal Belgian Ship Suppliers Association), which was one of the founding fathers of OCEAN, I am honoured to reflect on the many issues that made OCEAN more important than ever during the last two decades.

Former OCEAN and ISSA Chairman Jens Olsen (1998-2003) reflects on the founding years of OCEAN and key developments in the first two decades of the organization which has made OCEAN the strong and effective representative for the European Ship Supply industry it is today. 

 The OCEAN Board and the OCEAN Working Group Customs & Taxation will meet in Brussels to conclude OCEAN's 40th anniversary celebrations.

Mrs. Marit Eggen, Secretary General of Norske Maritime Leverandører, the Norwegian Maritime Suppliers, writes about exciting news to strengthen Norway''s vibrant ship supply industry.

Stephen Quest, Director of the EU Commission's Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union has made a guest contribution to OCEAN in light of our 40th birthday.

 Alongside OCEAN's 40 birthday, A proud OCEAN member, the Finnish Ship Suppliers Association – FSSA celebrated its 70-years jubilee on April 15-17th 2016. This report comes from Helsinki and Tallin.

 On 23rd June 2016, the British public voted in favour of a Brexit, or exit, from the European Union (EU). Of the British electorate, 17.4 million (51.9%) casted their votes in favour of Brexit compared to 16.1 million (48.1%) in favour of continued membership with an overall turnout of 72.2%, which is higher than most expected. So what does this mean for the future of the UK and European ship supply?

European ship suppliers welcome the Hellenic Ship Suppliers & Exporters Association back into OCEAN during 40th anniversary celebrations in Brussels

OCEAN, the representative body of the European Ship Supply sector, was formed in 1976 to represent the sector’s interests at European level.  40 years of cooperation in an ever more complex Europe is to us a significant milestone. OCEAN helt a celebratory lunch, in the heart of Europe, Brussels on 15.06.2016, the same month OCEAN helt its first meeting 40 years ago.

Happy Birthday OCEAN!

When European ship suppliers woke up on 1 May 2016, their professional world had changed. The Union Customs Code (UCC), a significant step towards the modernization of EU customs, serves as the new framework regulation on the rules and procedures for customs throughout the EU. Its substantive provisions entered into force on 1 May 2016. With it, did also new guidance for the ship supply industry.

ISSA's President Mr Abdul Hameed Hajah, representing the International Shipsuppliers & Services Association and nearly 2,000 ship suppliers throughout the world congratulates OCEAN on the organization's 40th birthday.

Today, OCEAN publishes its first ever study on the impact of customs legislation in the European ship supply sector for download by any interested party. The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the key characteristics of ship supply.

 The year 2016 is an important year for OCEAN, as the European ship supply industry celebrates its 40th anniversary. It was on a Tuesday, 29th June 1976, that six ship supply national organizations from Common Market Countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, UK and the Netherlands) met for the very first time in Schiphol in the Netherlands. This was the foundation meeting of OCEAN, with the primary purpose to study a draft from the European Economic Community (E.E.C.) for the regulation for the supply of ships, trains and aero planes in international traffic...

The Chairman of OCEAN, Dirk J. Cupido, looks back at 40 years of OCEAN, the European Ship suppliers Organization and concludes that OCEAN's work is more relevant than ever before.

In 1976, what was then called the European Economic Community consisted of 9 member states, 8 of which were maritime nations, having seaports of various degrees of importance. The ships calling these ports were supplied with food and non-food consumables of all kind by a vast variety of small and medium sized businesses. These businesses were organized in national associations, all having the objective to preserve and maintain the interests of “the industry” vis-à-vis the national authorities. This was mainly about customs rules and regulations (and later the same for veterinary affairs) applicable on the vast variety of goods supplied. At the same time, of course, these associations had a social function.

After adoption of the Delegated Acts (DA) and Implementing Acts (IA) of the Union Customs Code (UCC), the EU Commission will soon be starting discussions on the guidelines of the UCC. Guidelines are important to function as an aid to customs officials and economic operators alike to support the uniform implementation of the legislation.

There are five principal reasons why I believe that the harmonized treatment of ship supplies under the Union Customs Code, its Implementing and Delegated Acts & related Commission regulations should be mentioned in the UCC guidelines. 

During the OCEAN Board meeting of 27.11.2015 which took place in Brussels, Belgium, OCEAN Vice Chair Dirk Cupido from the Nederlandse Vereniging Van Scheepsleveranciers (NVVS) was elected by fellow Board members as chairman for the coming two years 2016-2017.

He succeeds Alfredo Tosato who did not seek re-election as chairman.

Cupido said he appreciates the confidence fellow board members had in electing him chairman. "I look forward to the future," Cupido said. "I think it's time we get ready to implement the Union Customs Code and make sure ship supply is mentioned in the UCC guidelines, and that's what I was elected to do."

Board members John Davey from the British Association of Ship Suppliers (BASS) was elected vice chairman.

The OCEAN Board meeting will take place on Friday, 27th November 2015, at the Sheraton Hotel at Brussels Airport.  On the day before, the OCEAN Working Group for customs, VAT and excise duty will discuss the impact of the adoption of the Delagated Act and quasi adoption of the Implementing Act of the Union Customs Code for the shipsupply industry.

The OCEAN Board will also prepare for OCEAN 40th anniversary in 2016. Vice-Chair Dirk Cupido commented: "Since the Board met last, important decisions have been taken in the European Union and proposals published! The Board will carefully examine the Union Customs Code and assess the impact for ship supply".

A new OCEAN Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer will also be elected for the years 2016-2017.

While most Danish ship suppliers are looking forward to the 1st of May 2016 where the new Union Customs Code (UCC) will apply, a lot of questions appear. What will change, when will new procedures be introduced, and how will it affect ship supply? VP Jens Maagaard from the Danish Shipsuppliers Association looks at the consequences of the UCC for Denmark.

The new The Ship Supplier has been published. Read all about the latest news of global ship supplying.

The German Ship Suppliers Association represents the interests of the ship supply industry and companies involved in tax-free trade throughout Germany vis-à-vis all government authorities at regional and national level. In this article, The Association presents its objectives and history, its publication of the German Shipsuppliers Register and what issues matter to them

The Chairman writes to OCEAN members about the ISSA convention in Singapore and the Union Customs Code.

The new edition of The Ship Supplier has been published. Learn all about what matters in global ship supply.

The Chairman of the Latvian Ship Suppliers Association takes stock of what the Latvian Presidency of the EU has meant for ship suppliers in the country and comments on the recent meeting of OCEAN in 

Spencer Eade, Secretary General of ISSA comments on the latest developments in the International Ship Supply & Services Association (ISSA), exclusively on www.shipsupply.eu

 OCEAN's Leadership met in the capital of Latvia during the Latvian Presidency of the EU on 29 May 2015.

 In Spring 1976, OCEAN was set up as a committee of ISSA. An article in The Ship Supplier recalls the events.

A strong delegation of OCEAN Board members travelled to Singapore for ISSA’s convention and 60th birthday celebration.

 Issue 64 /2015 of The Ship Supplier has been published.

The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA – The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association.

 The Union Customs Code is fast approaching and final details of what the legal texts look like are being decided upon by EU decision-makers. OCEAN's Working Group on customs will meet on 12 February to discuss what the changes mean for shisuppliers in Europe. 

OCEAN is delighted to work with Mr Abdul Hameed Hajah as new ISSA President and an Executive Board with strong European roots. All take office today, 1st January 2015

 OCEAN was founded in 1976 and will celebrate its 40th birthday in 2016.

 The OCEAN Board met in Brusels on 14 November 2014 to discuss a variety of customs, VAT, excise and other EU policies that have an impact on EU shipsupply.

 OCEAN presented its Postion Paper on the Union Customs Code during the hearing at the European Parliament on 5 November 2014.

The OCEAN Board and the Working Group 'Customs and Taxation' will meet in Brussels on 13/14 November 2014

The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA – The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association.

Published quarterly, The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is distributed to all ISSA members as well as purchasing managers within the world’s leading ship owning, operating and management companies

 OCEAN is creating a shipsupply manual for its membership.

 OCEAN's Board and the customs expert of the shipsupply industry met with Italian Customs authorities to discuss Italy's priorities during its EU Presidency and voice concerns regarding the Union Customs Code.

The OCEAN Board and the OCEAN Working Group meet in Genoa on 8 and 9 May 2014.

Edition 60 has been published!  The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA - The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association. Published quarterly, The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is distributed to all ISSA members as well as purchasing managers within the world's leading ship owning, operating and management companies. In each issue, our team of top writers and reporters bring you the very latest ship supply news and information from around the world.

 Edition 59 is publlished

 Alfredo Tosato and Dirk Cupido have been re-elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman for OCEAN for 2013-2015.

 The new Union Customs Code has been publised by the EU. For the first time, shipsupply is formally incldued in the primary legislation in Article 269

The OCEAN Board - the main decision making body of the European Shipsupply Industry will meet in Brussels on 25 November 2013.

 The OCEAN Working Group on Customs & Taxation will meet on 24 October 2013 to examine the different national shipsupply laws and practices. 

The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA – The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association.

Published quarterly, The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is distributed to all ISSA members as well as purchasing managers within the world’s leading ship owning, operating and management companies.

In each issue, our team of top writers and reporters bring you the very latest ship supply news and information from around the world.

 OCEAN Chairman Alfredo Tosato has welcomed the plans set out by the EU Commission to ease custom formalities for ships – reducing red tape, cutting delays in ports and making the sector more competitive. 

OCEAN Members welcome Hrvatska udruga brodskih opskrbljivaca to the EU

OCEAN Chairman Tosato has presented the work of OCEAN at the  58th ISSA Convention & Trade Exhibition.

BASS - The British Association of Ship Suppliers unveiled a new logo at the ISSA Convention and Trade Exhibition.

 The OCEAN Board meeting  took place in April 2013.

 The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA - The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association. Published quarterly, The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is distributed to all ISSA members as well as purchasing managers within the world's leading ship owning, operating and management companies. In each issue, our team of top writers and reporters bring you the very latest ship supply news and information from around the world.

 The OCEAN Board will meet in Brussels this week to discuss ways of strengthening the shipsupply industry accross Europe and on how to deepen the dialogue with EU decisison makers. 

A meeting of the OCEAN Working Group on Customs & Taxation will be held on Thursday 15th November 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.

 The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA - The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association. Published quarterly, The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is distributed to all ISSA members as well as purchasing managers within the world's leading ship owning, operating and management companies. Take a look inside volume 54. 

 The EU Commission has amended Annex 30A of the Implmenting provisions of the Customs Code, deleating references to ship- and aircraft supply. 

The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA - The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association.

 European Commission proposes a recast of the Modernised Customs Code to establish a Union Customs Code

 OCEAN Chairman Alfredo Tosato welcomed the report of the European Parliament on the Modernsiation of Customs and congratulated his follow country man Mr. Salvini MEP on on such a great piece of work. He added: "The European Parliament understands the needs of European business, we need less red tape and a strong customs union which is not reduced by different national laws. If we as European business agree to invest in security and compliance, in return we need to recover some of this investment by gaining more trust and self-management by customs authorities. In other words, AEOs should have no guarantees and benefit from tangible and financial benefits"

In 2011, OCEAN joined  the EU's Transparency register. In addition, OCEAN  adopted it's own Code of Conduct with the EU Institutions to furhter ilustrate committment with transparency and compliance with the law and ethical principals.

OCEAN participated in the Excise Contact Group meeting on 7 November 2011 in Brussels and gave a Power Point Presentation on the impact of EMCS on the shipsupply industry accross Europe.

Durante il Consiglio Direttivo del 4 novembre u.s. é stato eletto a Bruxelles, il nuovo Presidente OCEAN (l’Associazione Europea dei Fornitori Navali ), per il biennio 2012/2013. Alfredo Tosato, già Presidente ANPAN, eletto Presidente dai 16 Stati membri appartenenti alla Organizzazione Europea, che rappresentare la categoria dei fornitori navali presso il Parlamento Europea a Bruxelles.

 Shipsupply is teamwork - a truely global business! This is the motto that brings the OCEAN Board together on November 4th 2011 to discuss issues of vital importance for the shipsupply industry. The OCEAN Board will analyse the latest conclusions of the European Council on the debt crisis and assess its impact for the shipsupply industry. Shipsupplyleaders will hear important updates on the Modernised Customs Code; the EMCS and Ecise Duty, VAT reform and other issues. At this meeting, Stefan Ericson, Chairman of the Organisation of the last 4 years will step down and a new OCEAN Chairman will be elected.

 On June 16, 2011 the European Parliament (Internal Market and Consumer Protection - IMCO) organized a public hearing on the Modernized Customs Code and its implementing provisions (MCCIPs) in Brussels. OCEAN sent a detailed letter to the “rapporteur” Mr. Mr. Matteo Savini MEP in Italian and English explaining what is OCEAN and ship supply industry. 

VOLUME 49 SUMMER 2011 has a regional focus on the UK, Europe & Mediterranean, looks at the importance of Lifesaving Equipment, Anchors & Chain and Bonded Stores & Duty Free for the ship supply Industry.

The OCEAN Board meeting met on Sunday, May 29th 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark following the annual ISSA convention – the ISSA Voyage 2011 - aboard the MS Crown of Scandinavia.

 OCEAN will participate in the hearing on the Modernised Customs Code which will take place on June 16th 2011 in the European Parliament. The ship supply industry depends on modern rules which do not hinder trade but allow trade to remain competitive in these challenging economic times. Also, the crucial importance of SME's for EU's economy must be considered in this respect. "To ensure this, is the role of the EP - the voice of Europe's people and business" OCEAN Chairman Mr. Ericson said.

 OCEAN Chairman Stefan Ericson has written to the European Commission to contribute to the Green Paper of DG TAXUD on the future of VAT– Towards a simpler, more robust and efficient VAT system".

 A new ISSA Magazine is published! Find out much more about the shipsupply industry

OCEAN's tax expert Mr. Cupido will travel to Milan, Italy to represent OCEAN in the high level conference of DG TAXUD on the future of VAT on May 6th 2011.  This will come in parallell with the written contribution That the ship supply industry will make on the green paper of the Modernised Customs Code. 

OCEAN publishes practical guidelines for the ship supply industry to become AEO faster.

 The current EU Customs Code Implementing Provisions give Member States the possibility to allow their national ship suppliers not to make export declarations for small consignments. The EU Commission plans to withdraw this exemption under the Modernized Customs Code by 2013.  This article explains the consequences of this for the European ship supplying industry.

OCEAN Working Group for customs & taxation Chairman Peter de Haas Jr. has done a remarkable job bringing together all key staff in EU member States and ports from which ship suppliers operate.

OCEAN\'s Arne Mielken believes that the ISSA Quality Standard 2010 should be taken into consideration positively by customs when European ship supply companies apply for AEO status. This voluntary industry standard specifcally designed for ship supply goes a long way in complying with the AEO criteria and can speed up application and vertification processes by ship suppliers and customs authorities alike.

The OCEAN Board met in Brussels to dicuss a long range of current topics which impact on the European Maritime and ship supply industry including customs & taxation affairs as well as veterinary issues. The "name and shame" list proposed by the EU Commission under THESIS was also analysed.

Special Convention Issue - ISSA 55 in Dubai + ISSA Ship Supply News, regulatory snapshot and much more

Eugenio Mediavilla, the Secretary General A.E.S.M.A.R.(Asociación Española de
Suministradores Marítimos -Spanish Shipsuppliers Association) comments on the implementation of IT systems under the Modernised Customs Code.

The chairman of the Working Group on Customs and Taxation in OCEAN, Peter de Haas Jr., wishes for a swift, harmonised and unbureaocratic implementation of Regulation 430/2010 across the EU.

The ISSA Ship Supplier magazine is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA - The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association and its most recent edition can be downloaded here.

A report “A 2020 Vision for the Black Sea Region“ presented yesterday by the Black Sea Commission with an impact on maritime trade.

Mr Alfred Borg (President of the Maltese Ship Supply Association analyses what the accession to WCO\'s revised Kyoyo Convention means for ship suppliers in Malta.

OCEAN presents new EU "ship supply law" and VAT considerations at ANPAN General Assembly

Q & As for ship suppliers are part of the first phase of a new web portal to help ship supply companies to understand and follow the customs procedures for delivering goods onboard of vessels in the EU.

Addressing the President and Board of the International Shipsuppliers & Services Association, WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, welcomes the nexus between ISSA and the WCO in fostering an authorized supply chain

The new ISSA Ship Supplier magazine has been puplished including reports on new developments from OCEAN. It is the leading publication for the global ship supply industry. It is also the official publication of ISSA - The International Ship Suppliers & Services Association. Discover what is inside and download the online copy

Mr. Fernando Alves Pinto, Member of OCEAN's Working Group on customs  & taxation comments on the entry into force of the new EMCS system and the impact on Ship Supply.

The 27 Member States of the European Union and the European Commission have adopted a new amendment for the current Customs Code at their session at the Customs Code Committee today. The new law will impact on how modern maritime trade does business. It is applicable from January 1st 2011.

OCEAN has produced a detailed special report on the first consolidated draft of the Implementing Provisions of the Modernised Customs Code for its members. It allows to better understand the impact of the MCCIPs on Ship Supply.

As European suppliers lobby together to broach affairs facing
the industry, the French ship supply sector has been taking matters
into its own hands in a topical discussion involving the attendance
of Secretary General of OCEAN, Jean-Luc Mériaux at the Syndicat
National des Approvisionneurs de Navires (SNAN) the French Ship
Supply Association’s, General Assembly.

The CYPRUS SHIP SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION has joined OCEAN effective from 01.01.2010. In a letter to OCEAN President Ericson, CYSSA President Stamatis Barboutis explains what being in the heart of Europe means for Cyprus Ship Suppliers.

Results of the OCEAN Board meeting on November 6th 2009

European Ship Suppliers from more than 15 EU countries met in the European Parliament with key decision makers to discuss the future of the Ship Supply Industry under the Modernized Customs Code.

With the launch of the new OCEAN Website and a new, modern OCEAN logo, the European Ship Supply Organisation marks its entry into the 2nd decade of the 21st century.  The Chairman, Mr. Ericson reflects on the work of OCEAN so far and future projects.

The Chairman of OCEAN, Mr. Stefan Ericson, cordially invites you to the presentation of the new OCEAN webpage and the new OCEAN logo as well as a discussion on the future challenges in customs policy for European economic operators under the Modernized Customs Code

OCEAN Vice-President Mr. Tosato presented the work of OCEAN to the delegations from more than 30 countries from around the world represented in ISSA - the International Shipsupply and Services Association during their 54th Convention in Istanbul, Turkey.

Communicating what constitutes modern Ship Supply is important for OCEAN.  Ship Supply is teamwork, Ship Supply is a world-wide business. To underpin this,  ISSA , the International Shipsuppliers & Serivces Association publishes an informative and interesting magazine called "The Ship Supplier" at regular intervals containing news, views and relevant articles to the vibrant world of ship supply.

The OCEAN Board met in Porto, Portugal in May 2009

From 10th to the 13th of February, the European Commission and Customs authorities from all across the EU met with Italian ship suppliers and visited the port of Genoa, Italy.