The Malta Shortsea Promotion Centre, which was launched in November 2006 as the focal point for promoting and improving multimodal transport initiatives in Malta, is working to be the central source for the collation and dissemination of information, knowledge and education on shortsea activity in Malta.
Shortsea shipping is the modern alternative of road haulage within Europe: it involves the movement of cargo and passengers by sea between ports situated in geographical Europe or between those ports and ports situated in non-European countries having a coastline on the enclosed seas bordering Europe.
Shortsea shipping includes domestic and international maritime transport, including feeder services, along the coast, to and from the islands, rivers and lakes.
The concept of short sea shipping also extends to maritime transport between EU member states, Norway, Iceland, and other states on the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
Among the MSPC’s aims are the enhancement of the transport sector’s contribution to the local economy and Malta’s cohesion with Europe and its neighbours.
To date, MSPC has five members, two of whom, Transport Malta and Malta Motorways of the Sea, are corporate members. Tug Malta, Valletta Gateway Terminals and Combined Maritime Services are the other members. Since inception, MSPC has focused principally on keeping abreast of developments within the European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport, which deals with shortsea shipping.
Whereas countries on mainland Europe can choose between sea and land transport, Malta has to resort to seaborne and airborne transportation: other EU countries benefit from tonnage miles savings but Malta cannot.
For this purpose, MSPC has outsourced back office services to reach its objectives to Combined Maritime Services.
The MSPC issues a monthly electronic newsletter which, in conjunction with its website, aims to keep members updated.
The information is also aimed at other interested parties, including government agencies, the business community, shipping and logistics companies, shipping agents and service providers.
The centre plans to co-ordinate seminars so that local interests can network with leaders in this area.
The shortsea promotion centres, which are represented collectively through the European Shipping Network, are present in all European countries and have proved to be effective for the interaction between ports, shipping lines, freight forwarders, shipping agents, shippers and receivers.