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From 21-22 October, Antwerp will host the annual summit of the Global Maritime Forum.

On the Day of the Seafarer, the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (KBRV) joins the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in supporting the 2025 theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.” This global initiative underscores the vital importance of fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment for all seafarers. Diversity, equity, and inclusion—including the empowerment of women and other underrepresented groups—are essential for the long-term success of the maritime industry.

During the European Shipping Summit (ESS) in Brussels, the Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV) will be organising on 19 March a debate on ship recycling, together with BIMCO, the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, and the Malta International Shipowners' Association.

At the event organised on the Day of the Seafarer by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) at the Antwerp Maritime Academy with the support of the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (KBRV), we interviewed some of the speakers on the future of the maritime sector.

The KBRV attended the event organised on the Day of the Seafarer by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) at the Antwerp Maritime Academy, opened by Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and the North Sea.

Published in the latest edition of the European Transport Law (ETL) Review, the position paper entitled "Charting Uncertain Seas: Legal Ambiguities and Compliance Strategies in EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime Regulations" explores the legal and operational challenges introduced by the EU's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on shipping, and the FuelEU Maritime initiative.

Under Belgium's Rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the North Sea, Paul Van Tigchelt, is hosting a Brussels Conference on the Wellbeing of Seafarers. This ministerial event will take place in Brussels' Egmont Palace on 8 March, International Women’s Day. 

The question was in the mind of every participant at the panel discussion jointly organised by the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association and BIMCO at this week’s European Shipping Summit.

At the forthcoming second meeting of the Joint ILO-IMO Tripartite Working Group to Identify and Address Seafarers’ Issues and the Human Element (27-29 February 2024), participants will discuss the follow-up of the resolution on harassment and bullying including sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) in the maritime sector.

The Antwerp-based family business Fast Lines Belgium is a well-known logistic and maritime actor in Belgium and abroad. Besides its HQ in Antwerp, the company has subsidiaries in the UK, Ireland, and Poland. This international character is also evident in their cosy office at the Scheldekaaien, where employees of various nationalities can be found. Like the Polish Iga Cierpiel (27), Shipping & Sustainability Engineer. She’s been developing her maritime career for some time now, and she’s in charge of making all services offered by Fast Lines more sustainable.