After almost 17 years I write my last preface for the annual report of the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association.

Looking back on the last two decades, a feeling of gratitude prevails. In this spirit I wish to say ‘thank you!’
Thank you to the managers and their colleagues of the secretariat who have preserved and run the shipowners’ association in such an
outstanding way.
Thank you, Belgian government: thank you politicians, thank you government agencies for your proactivity.
Thank you fellow shipowners and your representatives for your support and trust.

When I became Chairman of the Belgian Shipowners’ Association on 13 September 1994, the Belgian merchant marine was in dire straits, as evidenced rather quickly at the first Board meeting by the motto “Will the last one to leave please switch off the lights?”
What have we achieved since then?
First and foremost we have worked out a solution with the government for the structurally underfinanced seafarers’ pension fund.

The Shipowners’ Association also operated in tight financial circumstances, which led to the sale of the Shipowners’ offices (Lijnwaadmarkt) and the optimisation of financial policy at the BSA.

In the meantime our fleet had migrated to the Luxembourg flag. Accordingly I was, in those days, the Chairman of both the Luxembourg Shipowners’ Association and the BSA.
By making the most of the European Directive on the maritime industry, inspired by the good example set by our neighbours to the North, we succeeded in adapting our Belgian tax law and employ our European seafarers under a competitive system on vessels once again flying the Belgian flag. The flow of revenue to the Treasury is a nice by-product of this arrangement.

This success received an added touch of prestige when the King granted our Association the right to be called the Royal Belgian Shipowners’Association.

The career opportunities created on the vessels under the Belgian flag have reinvigorated enrolment at the Nautical Academy, where the number of students has risen accordingly, almost quadrupling over a period of ten years.

To lend style to all the operations of our RBSA, once returned to health, we acquired the “Redershuis” located Ernest Van Dijckkaai, along the river Scheldt in Antwerp. We are proud that our association has been able, by its own means, to restore the value of a piece of the Antwerp, Flemish and Belgian heritage.

By the end of 2011 a last project should be largely completed, i.e. a new Belgian Maritime Code. The RBSA took the initiative to strive for a revision of maritime law and it has been a driving force in this endeavour, as there is room in our country for legal activity, over and above shipping and logistics. Indeed, to flourish, the economy needs decent legislation.

Therefore I repeat my thanks to my colleagues, the politicians, the government agencies and everybody who has contributed to the above-mentioned accomplishments.

However vigilance is in order. Given the heavy tax and wage burden in Europe, the preservation of the European State-Aid Guidelines for maritime transport is absolutely essential. If these were to lapse all the magnificent work would have been done in vain and everything would be destroyed in an instant.

Obviously further challenges await my successor.
Like other industries the shipping sector needs to adapt to new environmental requirements.
This requires delicate balancing: Europe does not need to be the best of the best in environmental terms, if standards are not adhered to worldwide.

However, should Europe wish to unilaterally impose stricter environmental standards to convince others to follow suit, this can only be done subject to support measures protecting competitiveness. Other states, including the USA, China, India, Indonesia and Brazil have also been taking measures to protect their fleet.

Moreover government has the duty to keep sea lanes open and safe for merchant shipping. Therefore I demand that our government and our military continue to coordinate actions with other countries to fight piracy. Additionally, our navy should be effectively and permanently deployed in the piracy-infested area.

I look back with pleasure on the years during which I sat on the Board of the Belgian Shipowners’ Association, now Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association, and on the period when I had the honour of being its Chairman.

Thank you very much and good luck!

Nicolas Saverys
Chairman