The European Commission may not realise it but it’s got a problem. Almost no one in Manila believes that the EU would withdraw recognition of Filipino seafarer certificates if the country doesn’t address its remaining STCW deficiencies. Not the bureacrats. Not the press. And not even the maritime school owners. If the Filipinos regard the European threat as a bluff, how can they be expected to take forthright action on what is a real problem? 

A new round of checks will be conducted this year by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), which inspects training facilities in non-EU crew supplying countries on behalf of the Commission. But there’s no sense of urgency amongst the local maritime folks. The forthcoming EMSA visit isn’t creating any anxieties. It’s not even talked about.

The local consensus is that banning Filipino seafarers on EU-flag ships would be too serious a blow, not just to EU shipowners, but to world shipping itself. The Commission would not dare take the step. It’s a view that the Commission itself has unwittingly encouraged.

The EMSA team has been to the country thrice - in 2006, 2010 and early 2012. The last wasn’t an inspection visit as widely reported in the maritime press. The EMSA folks came to consult with Philippine maritime authorities on the progress of STCW-related reforms and see how the management level courses were being conducted in two Manila training centres. All throughout, it can’t be said that guidance from EMSA and the Commission has been lacking.

No date has yet been set for the 2013 EMSA inspection. With Philippine elections due to be held in May, there’s an odds-on chance that the Commission will instruct EMSA to conduct the checks after June, possibly in September. This would buy more time for the Filipinos and allow them to install a more effective system for the State supervision of maritime schools, a major issue as far as EMSA is concerned.

But it would also bolster the impression that the Commission has been rather lenient with the Philippines. Imagine what the Georgians, who lost EU recognition of their seafarer certificates in 2010, would say to another extension for the Filipinos. A firm deadline for Manila to fix the deficiencies would be good for both the Filipinos and the Europeans.

The credibility of the European Commission is at stake here. ~Barista Uno

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This is a guest article from Barista Uno, a former maritime journalist based in the Philippines who runs the widely read Marine Café Blog (www.marine-cafe.com).