My Years as OCEAN Chairman– Dirk Cupido, former OCEAN Chair
Reflecting on leadership, UCC milestones, and VAT challenges: former OCEAN Chair Dirk Cupido shares key highlights from his transformative tenure.
In this retrospective, former OCEAN Chair Dirk Cupido reflects on his leadership from 2015 to 2019, highlighting major advocacy milestones such as the Union Customs Code's recognition of ship supply as export and the growing focus on VAT harmonization. He also celebrates the organization's 40th anniversary, the strengthening of ties with ISSA, and the enduring professional friendships formed across Europe.
After joining the OCEAN Board in 2008 and becoming vice-chair in 2011, I took over the chair from Alfredo Tosato in 2015. OCEAN by then had become a professional and stable organisation. The focus was on Customs and Veterinary affairs and over time VAT would become more and more important.
When I became chair in 2015, the first objective was to contribute to the finalisation of Annex B of the Union Customs Code. A lot of preparation for this was done under the previous presidency. When the UCC came into force, we could proudly conclude that Ship Supply (by far not the biggest sector of European industry) was recognised as an important provider of goods and services to a crucial sector dealing with world wide trade. Two important issues jump to mind, in this respect: Ship Supply was recognised as ‘export’, regardless of the destination of the ship and the use of generic product codes in customs declarations was allowed, instead of thousands of codes for individual products, a simplification much needed.
During my period the handling of VAT became more and more an issue. A ‘long and winding road’, which was already underway in 2011 when a conference was held in Milano on ‘The future of VAT’. VAT was not harmonised within the EU. I remember various meetings with DG-Taxud where legislation was developed and discussed. It was fascinating to be part of that process, where various industry sectors were given the opportunity to contribute to writing directives and other legislation.
In June 2016 the 40th anniversary of OCEAN was celebrated in Brussels with a lunch, key note speaker: Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization; other guests of honour: Susanne Aigner and Manuela Cabral, representing DG-Taxud. It was a modest, but pleasant, celebration.
We also worked further on improving the relationship with ISSA. Although OCEAN was created in 1976 as a ‘committee of ISSA’ representing the European ship suppliers vis-à-vis what was called the European Community in those days, the two organisations drifted more and more apart around the turn of the century and later. A development less desired by all concerned, which was reversed over the years after 2010.
Meetings were held over the years in Brussels and in various European cities. Always in good harmony and with a positive and constructive vibe, where the social element was never overlooked, an element important as ‘glue’ for the organisation (like in any organisation). Good personal and professional friendships grew over the years and I would like to thank all old colleagues from all over Europe for the cooperation during my years in OCEAN. I also would like to thank my employer for giving me the opportunity to participate in OCEAN.
It was with great confidence that I could hand over the chair to Wolfgang Sump in 2019. I whish (European) Ship Supply and OCEAN all the best for the future.
Dirk Cupido