THE EU FOREIGN MARITIME TRADE AND THE ROLE OF ITALY (original) (raw)
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1997
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Shortsea shipping is – unofficially still-the domestic shipping of the EU and as such it has many different characteristics than deep sea shipping. Whereas these differences are depicted clearly in international law, where shipping is distinguished between international and domestic, the hybrid nature of the European Union has blurred the borderline and consequently the customary definitions. This matter is intrinsically connected with the absence of a Common Maritime Transport Space in the EU which means that the fragmented nature of the coastline – i.e. the retention of the individual territorial waters of its member states-has been perpetuated despite the obligation under the EU Treaties to create a Single Market in the short sea. On this complex scene we have seen many important developments during the last twenty years. The Commission has been trying to superimpose on this fundamentally flawed setup an environmental overall so we have seen new concepts such as the Motorways of the Sea, the Green Corridors, the Directive on Sulphur content in marine fuels and so on. In parallel to these novel concepts which still need to show their worth there has been growing realization that the system does not produce the requisite results. Shortsea shipping has been losing the battle with the road transport, the average age of the fleet has reached new heights and there is today a plethora of third flag carriers operating exclusively within the EU coastline.