EU Shipping Law
Page 1801
CHAPTER 49
Conclusions
A. Introduction
49.001 A number of conclusions emerge after reviewing the law of the European Union (“EU”) as it relates to shipping. These conclusions are interesting in their own right but are also important in trying to understand the historical evolution, current nature and possible future development of EU shipping law. 49.002 Before examining these conclusions, it is worth reflecting on some observations which have been made by others because they provide a useful background. 49.003 It is useful to see shipping in the broader maritime context. It has been written:“Europe is much more than just the territorial area of the Member States. Europe also includes the oceans and seas which surround it and the activities that take place therein – therefore: the vast coastal areas, the islands, the fisheries, the maritime transport and the ports, the shipbuilding and the marine equipment industries, the exploitation of energy and the tourism industry. It is by dealing with all of these, within a future maritime policy for the Union, that we are somehow redefining Europe’s traditional borders and amplifying the scope of action for the Union to factor in the extensive maritime dimension of our continent.”1