Bibliotheek

The construction of the interactive experience centre "Havenwereld" was officially launched on 13 January 2025 at the Droogdokken site in Antwerp by Luk Lemmens, First Deputy of the Province of Antwerp and Johan Klaps, Antwerp's Port Alderman. KBRV Managing Director, Wilfried Lemmens, also took part in the ceremony.

Having worked in the cabinet of former Deputy Premier Vincent Van Quickenborne then the outgoing Deputy Premier Paul Van Tigchelt, and also in the private sector as a tax consultant, Loïc Van Staey joins the Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV) as an adviser in Taxation, Finances and Safety.

On 23 October, the first MASS North Sea MoU Symposium was kicked off by Belgium. The event brought together national administrations, class societies, technology providers and the broader maritime industry from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom to discuss Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USVs).

The Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV) endorses the International Chamber of Shipping's (ICS) submission to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which outlines the essential criteria for the forthcoming IMO net-zero framework.

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.

In the coming week, the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81) will meet to address the complex challenge of decarbonising the maritime industry. Surprisingly, amidst the multitude of proposed measures, the simplest solution may yet hold the key to effective decarbonization: implementing a global price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, argues the Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV).

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.