Dario Bazargan speak at the Comitato europeo delle regioni – European Committee of Regions, representing ASSARMATORI at the High-Level EU Forum on Insularity organised by Regione Autonoma della Sardegna with other European Insular Regional Governments,I.e. Balearic Islands, Malta (Gozo), Corsica, Ionian and Greek Islands (Crete).

Addressing an audience of political representatives from Regional Authorities, MEPs and EU Commission officials, Bazargan recalled the strategic role of the ferry sector for territorial continuity and social economic cohesion, enshrined in Art 174 TFEU, as well as the industry’s decarbonisation efforts & challenges. Bazargan underlined the absolute need for EU climate policies and legislation to carefully assess the repercussions on islands’ connections in light of their specificities.

Bazargan recalled that Assarmatori, jointly with other parties including the Region of Sardinia, obtained that the recent Fuel EU Maritime Regulation recognised such specificities through ad-hoc measures for small Islands as well as public service ferry voyages to large islands. Going forward, it is necessary that robust “Insularity clauses” are included in current and future EU legislative initiatives to safeguard all insular connections, starting from the next revision of the #TS Directive which currently requires to assess the impacts of this costly measure “on those essential services ensuring territorial continuity”. Equally important is the need to promote modalshift ensured by Motorways Of the Sea services in Europe and to urgently prevent risks of Transhipment relocation to non-EU hubs as a result of current EU measures.