The European Commission announced earlier today that they shall continue to recognise the certificates of Filipino seafarers, confirming the compliance of the Philippines with the requirements of the STWC Convention.

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber welcomes this very positive development which was catalyzed by the joint efforts of both the ECSA (European Community Shipowners’ Associations) and ICS (International Chamber of Shipping) with the authorities of the Philippines and other industry partners, working under the newly established International Advisory Committee on Global Maritime Affairs (IACGMA).

The IACGMA, initiated a productive dialogue between the industry, seafarers’ representatives and the Filipino authorities with the EU, to build continuity and sustainability in the Filipino system and responded successfully to the report by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)  that explored the deficiencies in the country’s standards of training and certification.

As such, the European Commission intends to provide, in the following months, the Philippines with technical assistance to further improve its education, training and certification system for seafarers, ensuring standards are maintained as per global regulations.

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber appreciates this decision, as Philippines provides one of the largest sources of seafarers to European and global shipping and as such their services are not only essential to the shipping industry but also to the world for keeping global trade moving.