EUROPEAN SHIPOWNERS BACK WTO SHIPPING TALKS

   The European Community Shipowners’ Associations, based in Brussels, said that it supports a liberalization of shipping through the World Trade Organization.
    The European shipowners’ group said that the European countries and European shipping have prepared the WTO discussions on services, including maritime services, expected to start following the Seattle WTO ministerial conference in November.
    "ECSA is aiming at the greatest possible liberal trading environment with, as a basic requirement, free access to markets and national treatment for the main pillars – sea transport, port services and ancillary services," a spokesman for the shipowners’ group said.
    ECSA said that a maritime liberalization agreement should include "effective, transparent and fast dispute settlement procedures."
    It will be essential that a sufficient critical mass of countries, including the U.S., takes part in the talks and come to an agreement with "concrete liberalizing commitments," the group said.
    ECSA reported that the co-operation between the EC, EU member states and the industry to further enhance the EU maritime external relations policy has been intensified in the past year.