Commission working document - LeaderSHIP 2015 Progress Report {SEC(2007) 517}
Date: 2007-04-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: activity report, aid to industry, competition policy, industrial policy, international competition, shipbuilding

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 25.4.2007 
COM(2007) 220 final 

COMMISSION WORKING DOCUMENT 

LeaderSHIP 2015 Progress Report 

{SEC(2007) 517} 

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Introduction 

When  the  LeaderSHIP  2015  strategy  was  crafted  by  industry  and  supported  by  EU 
policymakers  in  2002-2003,  the  outlook  for  Europe’s  shipbuilding  industry  seemed  rather 
bleak.  New  orders  were  drying  up  and  new  building  prices  were  low  and  declining  in 
response  to  large  capacity  increases  in  Asia.  Against  this  backdrop,  LeaderSHIP  2015  was 
conceived as a vision based on a belief in the capacity and innovative potential of Europe’s 
maritime industries, and a determination to fight for their future.  

The initiative identified eight themes, namely: 

–  Establishing a Level Playing Field in World Shipbuilding  

–  Improving Research, Development and Innovation Investment  

–  Developing Advanced Financing and Guarantee Schemes  

–  Promoting Safer and More Environment-Friendly Ships  

–  A European Approach to Naval Shipbuilding Needs  

–  Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)  

–  Securing the Access to a Skilled Workforce  

–  Building a Sustainable Industry Structure 

It is now gratifying to note that we have seen generally positive figures on new orders over 
the course of the last few years. European yards have seen the value of their new orders more 
than  triple  between  2002  and  2005,  growing,  in  2004  and  2005,  at  a  faster  rate  than  in  any 
other region of the world. And with productivity increasing more than fourfold over the last 
two  decades,  Europe’s  highly-specialised  shipbuilding  industry  is  competitive,  flexible,  and 
well  equipped  to  face  the  future  with  confidence.  However,  recent  large  increases  in  global 
shipbuilding  capacity  –  mainly  in  Asia  –  are  likely  to  make  the  trading  environment  for 
European  yards  even  more  challenging  in  the  near  future.  Further  details  on  recent  market 
developments are given in the annex. 

The  shipbuilding  industry  is  benefiting  from  two  other  favourable  EU  policy  developments 
namely,  the  renewed  focus  on  competitiveness  in  the  revised  Lisbon  -  growth  and  jobs  - 
strategy and the Commission’s building of a European vision for the oceans and seas based on 
a holistic maritime policy framework. 

LeaderSHIP  2015  has  been  cited  in  the  latest  industrial  policy  Communications.  Indeed, 
Europe’s  shipbuilding  industry  has  helped  to  pioneer  this  modern  application  of  industrial 
policy  and  inspired  a  similar  approach  in  other  industrial  sectors.  European  shipbuilders 
working  with  equipment  manufacturers  do  more  than  deliver  the  “off-the-shelf”  ships 
favoured by many of their Asian competitors, by providing custom-built solutions that meet 
their clients’ demanding requirements. With its modern industrial policy approach that aims at 
strengthening international competitiveness and the coherence of various policy spheres, the 
Commission seeks to do likewise. This is helping to create a business environment that is not 
just permissive but supportive.  

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This  approach  dovetails  with  the  Commission’s  effort  to  put  in  place  a  holistic  maritime 
policy framework with the publication of a Maritime Policy Green Paper in June 2006 which 
presents LeaderSHIP as a vital pillar of the competitiveness of Europe’s maritime industries 
and an example to be replicated more broadly. The Green Paper also positions shipbuilding as 
an  essential  part  of  a  vibrant  and  interconnected  European  maritime  space.  This  new 
dimension  and  increased  focus  on  the  maritime  arena  is  increasing  people’s  awareness  of 
shipbuilding and boosting its image. But more attention generates more responsibility on all 
sides  to  make  the  most  of  this  currently  favourable  scenario  of  good  markets  and  a  good 
political environment to deliver on the relevant recommendations. 

Chapter 1: Establishing a Level Playing Field in World Shipbuilding 

The  shipbuilding  industry  is  truly  global  and  ship  owners  can  buy  vessels  anywhere  in  the 
world  without  significant  technical,  commercial  or  legal  restrictions.  However,  the  global 
trade rules governing the sector are often unequal, incomplete or inapplicable.  

Regrettably, no tangible results can yet be seen in this domain despite the best efforts of all 
concerned  in  the  OECD  and  other  arenas  and  the  determination  shown  in  prosecuting  the 
WTO  case  against  Korea.  This  case  underscored  the  limitation  of  current  trade  rules  with 
regard to shipbuilding where the concept of import and export effectively does not exist and 
where subsidisation is often related to the producer rather than the product. Thus, the ruling 
on this case offered little help to European shipbuilding. 

Meanwhile, OECD negotiations on a shipbuilding agreement addressing the twin problems of 
subsidies  and  unsustainably  low  prices  in  the  world  shipbuilding  market  were  “paused”  in 
October  2005  without  the  conclusion  of  a  meaningful  and  enforceable  agreement.  The 
relevant Working Party No. 6 (WP6) has since been reactivated for a limited period and the 
Commission  continues  to  engage  and  contribute  to  this  worthwhile,  if  difficult  process. 
However,  our  main  competitors  do  not  currently  seem  sufficiently  motivated  to  make  the 
requisite commitments to secure an agreement. No breakthrough concerning the re-opening of 
substantive OECD negotiations is expected soon. Nevertheless, the situation should be subject 
to review in order to see whether there is scope for re-activating the discussions. 

In addition bilateral discussions are now being actively pursued. To that effect, progress has 
been made in setting up a comprehensive bilateral Shipbuilding Dialogue with China that will 
address all relevant issues. The first meeting between Commission officials and their Chinese 
counterparts was held on 20 December 2006. Broad agreement has been reached on the scope 
and  substance  of  the  Dialogue  and  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding  should  be  signed  at 
high-level  by  this  summer.  Meanwhile,  work  is  also  starting  with  regard  to  the  possible 
opening of negotiations with Korea on a Free Trade Agreement. Obviously in view Korea’s 
pre-eminent role in the global market, shipbuilding should feature in these negotiations.  

A viable and sustainable European, and indeed world shipbuilding industry cannot be based 
on  overcapacity,  protectionism  or  subsidies  and  the  Commission  is  continuing  to  work  to 
convince our trading partners to address these matters as seriously as we do in Europe. Due 
attention  is  also  being  given  to  the  causes  and  effects  of  global  differences  in  the  costs  of 
certain raw materials on the competitiveness of European yards.  

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Chapter 2: Improving Research, Development and Innovation Investment 

Improving  Research,  Development  and  Innovation  is  a  key  pillar  of  the  LeaderSHIP  2015 
initiative.  Europe's  competitive  advantage  has  been  and  will  continue  to  be  based  upon  its 
ability  to  construct  the  most  advanced  vessels.  In  fact,  Europe  accounts  for  almost  all  ship 
innovations.  This  is  made  possible  by  the  successful  and  continued  development  and 
application of innovation and research.  

In the knowledge economy of the present and future, LeaderSHIP has stimulated the targeting 
of legitimate support to innovation by making the EU’s rules responsive to the needs of the 
sector.  Updated  provisions  on  innovation  aid  to  shipyards  -  with  aid  intensities  tailored  to 
reflect  and  reward  intelligent  risk-taking  and  enhance  Europe’s  technological  ascendancy  - 
have  been  in  force  since  1  January  2004.  Innovation  aid  may  be  granted  for  the  industrial 
application  of  innovative  products  and  processes.  These  new  rules  are  tailored  to  meet  the 
specific needs of shipyards - where one out of four deliveries is based on a completely new 
and innovative design or prototype. And they bear witness to the fact that European shipyards 
are genuine engineering power-houses.  

Germany,  France,  Spain  and  more  recently  the  Netherlands  and  Italy,  have  taken  the 
opportunity presented by the new state aid framework to develop and fund national schemes 
to  support  innovation.  Given  the  time-lag  between  the  adoption  of  the  framework  and  the 
setting-up  of  the  national  schemes,  more  time  is  needed  in  order  for  industry  and  Member 
States to implement these schemes and present their results to the Commission. Consequently, 
the framework has been prolonged until 31 December 2008 to allow more time to assess its 
effectiveness.  It  is  also  worth  highlighting  here  the  constructive  co-operation  between 
industry and the Commission on the elaboration of applicable rules, which facilitated the roll-
out of the scheme in the Member States concerned.  

The other key LeaderSHIP recommendation in this chapter, namely the call for a Technology 
Platform (TP) to strengthen the European dimension of research, development and innovation 
has been delivered with the launch of the WATERBORNE TP. With the shipbuilding industry 
providing the secretariat, this platform brings together all strands of the maritime industries, 
Member  States  and  other  stakeholders.  Meanwhile,  as  Community  funding  for  surface 
transport has almost doubled - to around €1.3bn - between the 6 th (FP6, 2002-06) and the 7th 
(FP7, 2007-13) Framework Programmes, the opportunity exists for maritime transport to win 
increased support – even compared to the circa €200 million it secured from FP6. FP7 also 
foresees security - including the development of particular solutions for the maritime sector - 
as a new research theme. It is important that maximum benefit is derived from FP7 and other 
sources of funding in Europe by avoiding duplication, creating synergies and optimising co-
ordination between policymakers, industry and scientific communities. The high-tech nature 
of  the  shipbuilding  industry  is  further  underlined  by  the  fact  that  yards,  on  average,  invest 
more than 10% of their turnover on research, development and innovation.  

Finally, in this context, and as emphasised in the Green Paper consultation, industrial clusters 
also  play  an  important  role  in  maritime  industries  due  to  the  location  of  enterprises  and  the 
very high level of outsourcing and inter-linkages between sectors. Clusters are an important 
driver  for  innovation  and  competitiveness.  The  Commission  is  ready  to  follow-up  the 
Maritime  Policy  Green  Paper  in  this  respect  by  identifying  the  drivers  and  characteristics, 
including the sectoral coverage of successful maritime clusters and ascertaining the role of the 
Commission, in conjunction with national and regional authorities, in promoting them. 

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Chapter 3: Developing Advanced Financing and Guarantee Schemes 

Shipyards  need  to  handle  large,  expensive  and  complex  projects.  In  most  cases,  a  yard’s 
annual production value exceeds its own value as a going concern; yet it has to assume full 
liability for each ship built. So, yards not only develop innovative projects, but also need to 
organise  the  necessary  working  capital  and  the  refund  guarantees  generally  demanded  by 
owners. This drain on time and resources adversely affects European yards’ competitiveness 
vis-à-vis  their  competitors  who,  in  most  cases,  benefit  from  state-supported  ship-financing 
schemes.  

Accordingly  the  Commission  has  been  working  intensively  on  this  issue  with  a  view  to 
finding  a  pragmatic  solution  that  meets  the  needs  of  industry  whilst  remaining  fully 
compatible  with  competition,  OECD  and  WTO  rules.  In  this  context,  the  focus  has  been 
placed  on  pre-delivery  financing  (refund  guarantees)  as  owners  generally  do  not  have 
problems securing post-delivery financing in the market.  

Consequently, the Commission has initiated extensive contacts with the European Investment 
Bank (EIB) to examine the feasibility of it taking a leading role in devising and implementing 
an appropriate scheme.  

The EIB has been helpful and constructive in actively seeking a satisfactory solution, however 
it  has  indicated  that  it  faces  significant  constraints  notably  in  terms  of  its  statute,  available 
resources and sector-specific expertise which make it challenging for it to take a lead role in 
setting up and running the envisaged EU guarantee fund.  

The Commission has also explored this matter in some depth with experts from other banking 
institutions  and  brought  all  interested  parties  together  on  a  number  of  occasions  to  examine 
the feasibility of the desired scheme. 

These  efforts  lead  to  a  Workshop  with  Member  States,  industry,  the  EIB  and  the  relevant 
Commission  departments  on  20  October  2006.  Industry  has  estimated  that  at  least  €300m 
would  be  needed  initially  to  guarantee  the  fund.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  Workshop,  the 
Commission  invited  all  participants,  particularly  Member  States,  to  comment  on  industry’s 
proposal,  with  a  view  to  taking  the  matter  forward;  however  no  responses  have  yet  been 
received. 

The  Commission  meanwhile,  has  also  explored  the  possibility  of  a  Community  budget 
allocation of the funds necessary to back a guarantee fund for shipyards. This however, would 
require  a  specific  legislative  act  and  financing  of  the  requisite  amount  which  implies  that  a 
solution  might  only  be  found  in  the  context  of  any  revised  budgetary  framework.  It  should 
also  be  noted  that  the  rationale  for  an  EU  scheme  remains  intact  despite  the  creation  of 
national  schemes  in  many  countries.  Industry  sees  a  European  scheme  as  complementary 
rather than as an alternative to national measures.  

In the light of this assessment, the Commission can only make further progress on this issue if 
there is a clear political will also from Member States to deliver an appropriate response to the 
problem.  This  has  to  be  demonstrated  by  providing  a  firm  mandate  and  support  from  the 
budgetary authority and the EIB for the requisite refund guarantee scheme. 

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Chapter 4: Promoting Safer and more Environmentally-Friendly Ships  

impact  -  frequently  surpassing 

Ships  produced  in  Europe  are  of  the  highest  quality  in  terms  of  complexity,  safety  and 
environmental 
the  relevant  regulatory  requirements. 
Furthermore, ongoing innovation in terms of design and construction is driven by market and 
societal  demands  for  safer  and  cleaner  ships.  But  European  yards  compete  in  a  truly 
worldwide  market  which  does  not  always  fairly  value  quality,  knowledge  and  service  and 
where  ships  are  sometimes  treated  as  a  “commodity”.  The  Commission  and  industry, 
accordingly, generally welcome higher global standards to ensure fair competition in a global 
marketplace.  

However,  care  must  be  taken  to  ensure  that  global  rules  are  not  misused  or  do  not  have 
perverse  side  effects.  For  instance,  discussions  in  the  International  Maritime  Organisation 
(IMO)  on  the  issue  of  Goal-Based  new  ship  construction  standards  require  careful 
consideration to ensure that any quality and safety benefits they might generate, do not lead to 
any  form  of  unintended  technology  transfer  through  mandatory  ship  construction  files. 
Likewise, the International Association of Classification Societies’ (IACS) new unified rules 
for hull construction aim to promote safer ships but due care must be taken by all to avoid any 
unwanted leakage of intellectual property or specialised knowledge.  

The  Commission  recognises  the  need  to  take  due  account  of  safety  and  environmental 
concerns  in  its  competitiveness  policy  initiatives  and  is  working  to  ensure  that  our  global 
competitors  and  trading  partners  do  likewise.  It  also  means  more  research  into  clean  ship 
technologies  and  encouraging  more  and  better  ship  maintenance  in  Europe’s  wide  range  of 
quality  ship  repair  facilities  .In  this  context,  the  Commission  recently  presented  a  Third 
Maritime  Safety  Package  to  reinforce  existing  legislation  notably  regarding  classification 
societies;  port  state  control;  monitoring  of  maritime  traffic;  responsibility  of  flag  states; 
maritime accident investigations and the liability of ship-owners.  

The issue of ship dismantling is also on the agenda to be addressed in a Commission Green 
Paper.  

Industry provides expert technical input to the Commission and to European Maritime Safety 
Agency (EMSA) and joined with other shipbuilding regions to form an organisation charged 
with co-ordinating technical contributions to rule-making bodies to ensure that the views of 
manufacturers are taken more into account. Last but not least in this respect, shipbuilding and 
shipping industries are playing an increasingly important role in reducing transport pollution 
and  increasing  safety  by  the  promotion  and  use  of  Short  Sea  Shipping.  EU  shipbuilding 
industries  should  continue  taking  the  lead  in  clean  shipping  technology,  including  the 
application of technologies to reduce energy consumption, air emissions and use of hazardous 
materials and more environmentally friendly antifouling protection. This will help bring the 
'clean ship concept' into wider application. Waterborne freight transport is already more fuel 
efficient than other transport modes and European yards stand ready to make an even greater 
contribution  to  its  success  by  delivering  appropriate,  innovative  and  flexible  ship  designs. 
This would be in line with the strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from sea-going ships 
and the EU thematic strategies on the sustainable use of natural resources and on the marine 
environment.  Initiatives  like  Marco  Polo  and  Motorways  of  the  Sea  which  are  introducing 
new, intermodal maritime-based transport logistics chains in Europe to shift freight from the 
road to the sea are being taken forward. The vital role of ships in providing the hardware to 
facilitate  the  development  of  appropriate  means  in  this  context  can  be  further  harnessed  for 
the mutual benefit of both the yards and Europe’s transport objectives. 

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Chapter 5: A European Approach to Naval Shipbuilding Needs 

The pivotal role of maritime industries in providing essential hardware for the EU's security 
and  defence  strategies  requires  careful  attention  in  the  formulation  and  implementation  of 
policies. The quality and cost effectiveness of Europe’s naval yards is an asset that needs to be 
nurtured  and  exploited.  The  Commission  is  continuing  to  explore  how  to  better  harness 
Europe’s  competitive  advantage  in  naval  shipbuilding  by,  for  instance,  reducing  market 
fragmentation  and  facilitating  potential  synergies  in  the  application  of  industrial  and 
security/defence/procurement/policies.  

Strong  integrated  European  players  will  help  the  competitiveness  of  Europe’s  naval  sector. 
While  neither  driving  nor  restraining  the  process,  the  Commission  welcomes  the  emerging 
trend  of  consolidation  and  co-operation  between  naval  shipbuilding  yards  at  national  level, 
provided  it  constitutes  a  step  towards  building  a  European  Defence  Technological  and 
Industrial Base (EDTIB) in the naval sector.  

Much  work  remains  to  be  done  to  agree  common  operational  requirements  and  harmonise 
procurement cycles with a view to reaching the ultimate goal of interoperability of vessels and 
fleets. 

This  notion  of  interoperability  is  also  becoming  essential  in  the  context  of  the  emerging 
requirement for coherent, pan-EU, maritime surveillance capabilities. The development of the 
corresponding assets according to the concept of "systems of systems" will stimulate the need 
for naval platforms and contribute to the competitiveness of naval shipyards in Europe. 

That  is  why  the  Commission  is  warning  that  the  competitive  advantages  of  the  European 
defence and naval industry are at risk without significant change. The duplication and loss of 
economies of scale through what has been termed “Non-Europe” in the area of security and 
defence  encompasses  the  challenges  faced  by  naval  yards  with  fragmented  industrial  bases 
serving only national markets. 

However, the European Defence Agency (EDA) - whose creation was also recommended in 
LeaderSHIP  2015  -  was  established  in  July  2004.  The  Agency  is  delivering  on  its  stated 
objectives and indeed helping to achieve the goals outlined above.  

In  the  coming  months  the  Commission  intends  to  come  forward  with  a  comprehensive 
defence package including initiatives in the field of defence-related procurement and intra-EU 
transfers of defence equipment. 

Chapter 6: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) 

The  future  of  the  European  shipbuilding  industry  hinges  on  its  technological  leadership. 
Europe’s  maritime  excellence  and  competitiveness  in  shipbuilding  and  marine  equipment  is 
based on having the best products and industry and policymakers must work to ensure that the 
knowledge and experience that helps create them is valued and protected. The Commission is 
working with industry in this respect to raise awareness of intellectual property, better exploit 
existing instruments and try to ensure that all our competitors play by the rules. 

To  that  effect,  the  Commission  launched  a  year  long  study  on  intellectual  property-related 
issues in shipbuilding in December 2006. The main aim is to obtain an in-depth understanding 
of  the  problems  relating  to  protecting  the  European  shipbuilding  industry’s  intellectual 

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property.  This  embraces  the  qualitative  and  quantitative  dimensions  of  the  problem  and  the 
mechanisms by which European shipbuilding know-how is channelled (legally and illegally) 
to competitors. 

It will define the problems more precisely and assess their economic impact with a view to the 
formulation  of  specific  policy  recommendations.  A  Working  Group  of  the  Maritime 
Industries  Forum  looking  into  Rules,  Regulations  and  Rights  is  also  addressing  intellectual 
property concerns. And, as indicated above, the Commission intends to include this issue in 
the  shipbuilding  Dialogue  with  China  as  well  as  in  relevant  multilateral  and  bilateral  trade 
negotiations. 

Industry is also engaged in establishing internal structures to properly prepare their position 
on the issue.  

Chapter 7: Securing the Access to a Skilled Workforce 

In  Europe’s  technologically  advanced  shipbuilding  industry,  a  highly-skilled  workforce  is  a 
key  factor  in  turning  knowledge  into  wealth  and  ensuring  productivity,  innovation  and 
competitiveness.  The  Commission  shares  the  view  of  the  social  partners  that  success  is 
created  by  shipyard  workers  using  their  knowledge  and  experience.  Yards  need  to  recruit, 
retain and retrain quality workers to maintain their skills base and know-how and secure their 
long-term success.  

The  Community  of  European  Shipyards  Associations  (CESA)  and 
the  European 
Metalworkers  Federation  (EMF)  established  a  formal  Social  Dialogue  Committee  for  the 
shipbuilding  and  ship-repair  sectors  in  September  2003.  This  is  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the 
metal trades in the EU and bears witness to the working environment in most European yards 
that is characterised by professionalism and mutual respect. 

In that framework, CESA and EMF have been granted the status of European social partners. 
As such they are consulted on social  policy  proposals and, if they wish, their dialogue  may 
lead  to  contractual  relations,  including  agreements.  So  far,  the  committee  has  created  three 
working  groups  on  the  image  of  the  sector,  worker  training  and  qualifications  and  cyclical 
activities and restructuring issues. 

The Committee has delivered practical initiatives like the European Shipyard Week in March 
2006. The prime objective of the “Shipyard Week” was to reinforce and spread the message 
of  LeaderSHIP  2015,  improve  the  attractiveness  of  shipyards  as  a  workplace  for  young 
graduates  and  highly-skilled  professionals  and  promote  a  positive  image  for  the  sector. 
Planning is already underway for a similar exercise in 2008. 

But the problem of the image of shipbuilding which is often portrayed as an old industry with 
an uncertain future remains and must continue to be addressed. Young graduates and highly 
skilled workers are not always aware of the opportunities available as a result of the dynamic 
evolution of shipyards in recent years.  

Meanwhile, the MIF also called for a European Maritime Day in its recommendations at the 
last plenary session in Oslo (Norway) in October 2006.  

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Going forward, the Social Dialogue committee is currently preparing a new project to develop 
an  aggregate  age  and  qualification  profile  that  could  be  used  to  identify  future  training  and 
recruitment  requirements.  This  also  envisages  analysing  and  addressing  the  problem  of  an 
ageing workforce that is particularly acute in some Member States and could complement any 
future Commission initiatives in the field of maritime skills. 

Chapter 8: Building a Sustainable Industry Structure 

The Commission has neither the mandate nor the vocation to define the structure of Europe’s 
shipbuilding  industry.  This  is  up  to  the  market  and  the  forces  and  principles  that  rule  it. 
However,  the  fragmentation  of  the  European  shipbuilding  industry,  if  continued,  could 
hamper  competitiveness.  The  Commission  therefore  welcomes  recent  developments  in  the 
direction  of  mergers,  acquisitions  and  joint  ventures.  Strong  European  shipbuilding  groups 
with the requisite financial and technological capabilities will be better equipped to compete 
successfully  in  the  increasingly  competitive  world  market.  LeaderSHIP  2015  has  certainly 
facilitated  some  convergence  of  national  policies  towards  the  shipbuilding  industry  by 
providing  a  benchmark  framework  for  the  competitiveness  of  the  sector.  But  there  is  still 
scope for further progress in this direction. 

Compared to its main competitors in Japan and Korea, the European shipbuilding industry is 
more  diversified,  has  more  small  and  medium  sized  yards  and  the  process  of  consolidation 
and restructuring is not yet completed.  

Conclusions and Outlook 

LeaderSHIP 2015 is delivering results on all fronts. It has contributed to a shift in European 
policy towards and public perception of, the sector. Whereas shipbuilding used to be seen as a 
subsidised  sunset  industry,  it  is  now  widely  recognised  as  part  of  a  modern  and  efficient 
European  manufacturing  sector  that  is  actually  offering  new  jobs  and  driving  growth  in 
transport, trade, tourism and other areas. LeaderSHIP is a tangible example of the application 
of the Growth and Jobs strategy to a specific sector. Aided by positive market developments, 
it has mobilised stakeholders, helped industry adapt to the end of operating aid in 2000 and 
provided a universally accepted roadmap for necessary change.  

We should also not underestimate the rallying/mobilising effect it has had on industry itself – 
on  whom  ultimate  success  in  the  market  depends  –  in  encouraging  it  to  build  common 
strategies  and  structures  to  respond  to  challenges  in  all  domains.  Moreover,  this  effort  is 
further  underpinned  by  the  Green  Paper  on  Maritime  Policy,  which  emphasises  the 
importance of the maritime sectors in Europe. 

The  Commission  believes  that  LeaderSHIP  2015  continues  to  provide  an  appropriate 
framework  for  its  policies  towards  the  shipbuilding  sector.  It  should  continue  and  be 
accelerated  where  possible,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  issue  of  ship  financing.  But  it 
should also be noted that in many areas the ball is largely in the field of industry (e.g. industry 
structure) or of Member States. The market environment for Europe’s world class shipyards is 
likely to become more demanding in the years ahead but the Commission remains committed 
to  LeaderSHIP  2015  and  will  continue  to  strive  to  ensure  that  the  best  policy  mix  is  being 
crafted and applied at EU level to meet the challenges ahead.  

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