imo council belgium

MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTF E D E R A L P U B L I C S E RV I C E

COMMITMENT TO THE IMO

We fully support the IMO as the primary forum for dialogue on maritime issues among nations, by sharing expertise with partners and by fostering pragmatic, inclusive and consensus-based solutions.

• We share our expertise through the various IMO Commit-tees and Sub-Committees.

• Belgium has contributed to the 4th Greenhouse GasIMO study through active participation in the SteeringCommittee and its quality review.

• We believe in sharing expertise through the IMO MemberState Audit Scheme and requested to be audited underthe IMO Voluntary Audit Scheme (in 2000 and in 2014).We have made an IMSAS lead auditor available to theIMO since 2018.

• By way of an integrated quality management systemor Corporate Flag State Governance, both the industryand public sector help to achieve shared goals of quality,compliance and sustainability. This approach ensures afull and effective implementation of all IMO instruments.

• Belgium supported (in cooperation with the UK) in 2019the first international voyage of an autonomous vesselfrom the UK to Belgium and back. Upcoming draft legisla-tion facilitating registration of autonomous vessels underBelgian flag allows us to take an active role in the IMOregulatory scoping exercise Maritime Autonomous SurfaceShips (MASS).

Belgian fleet: 129

SOLAS ships transport 6,179,823 GT

The Belgian dredging sector covers demand worldwide:

> 12,000 employees> 200 specialized ships

> 100 years of experience

37% of the Belgian North Sea is a

Marine Protected Area

Antwerp

2nd largestEuropean port

Every year more than 300,000

shipping movements in the Belgian North Sea

The ports of Antwerp, Ghent, Zeebrugge and Ostend form the Belgian cluster

of North Sea ports. In 2019, some

294 million tonnes

of cargo were loaded or discharged in these ports

Ranked 5th worldwide

installed offshore wind farm

15th on Ownership of world fleet,

ranked by carrying capacity in deadweight tonnes, 2020 (UNCTAD)

ENVIRONMENTWe believe that sustainable maritime development is an exceptional lever to ensure economic growth and a path to prosperity for all.

• We manage one of the world’s biggest off-shore windmill farms. We aim to double theproduction capacity to 4GW by 2030.

• Belgium was one of the first supporters of theBlue Leaders Alliance of States who committo protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030.

• Belgium has developed ship emission inspec-tions using a small airplane to analyse shipexhausts in flight. Also, a new optical technol-ogy for measuring SOx, NOx and black carbonwill be installed on wind turbines.

• Belgium has been a forerunner in alternativefuel applications. In 2017, an energy hubfor Liquified Natural Gas or LNG bunkering wasinaugurated in the Port of Antwerp, a first inEurope. A first test vessel on hydrogen is in usein Antwerp. The use of ammonia and methanolas well as onshore power supply are also ex-plored and tested.

SAFETY AND SECURITYWe are dedicated to further safety and secu-rity of vessels and maritime routes, as well as training and well-being of those who work at sea.

• Belgium was one of the first to ratify theCape Town Agreement to promote safeworking conditions for fishermen.

• Belgium was one of the first countries toadopt a binding marine spatial develop-ment plan.

• We actively cooperate on the developmentof ship routing systems in the North Sea,Celtic Sea and Baltic Sea, in collaborationwith the World Maritime University.

• The Port of Antwerp’s APEC-Antwerp Train-ing Centre provides courses and runs alarge number of programmes to partnersfrom around the world.

• We actively participate in maritime securi-ty networks for high-risk areas such as theGulf of Guinea (G7 ++ FoGG, MDAT-GoG),the Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) and the Straitof Hormuz (EMASOH).

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B E L G I U MIMO Counci l

2021 Candidacy of the Kingdom of Belgium for category C