The Italian Shipowners’ Confederation (Confitarma) has expressed its appreciation for the publication of the decree by the General Command of the Harbour Master’s Office Corps of July 31, 2025, which regulates the attainment of advanced training for seafarers embarking on oil tankers and chemical tankers.
“The measure, of fundamental importance for Italian seafarers in the tanker sector and for their companies, allows these workers to acquire advanced training even in the absence of the required period of actual navigation on ships carrying both types of products, resolving in a satisfactory manner and in compliance with international regulations the issues raised by EMSA” reads a note from the shipowners’ confederation.
Confitarma underlines how the General Command immediately grasped the complexity and delicacy of the matter, accepting the suggestions presented for the resolution of the problem by the Confederation jointly with the sector’s trade unions and the National Seafarers’ Fund.
“We welcome this decree with satisfaction, as it represents a concrete and pragmatic step forward to protect the businesses and workers of the tanker sector” declares the general director of Confitarma, Luca Sisto. “It demonstrates that constructive dialogue between the administration, the shipping world, and trade union representatives can lead to effective results that are immediately useful for the Italian maritime system”.
Confitarma also draws attention to the importance of the activity carried out within the Permanent Working Group on the training of maritime personnel which, in the two years since its establishment, has proven to be a valuable forum for discussion between representative associations and the administration and which has introduced some important simplifications in this area.
“There is still much to be done on the path of administrative simplification. The dialogue between the Administration and stakeholders is the fundamental tool to give further impetus to the simplification and de-bureaucratization process that concerns both maritime work and the administrative regime of the ship, necessary to safeguard and relaunch the competitiveness of the national shipping industry” concludes Luca Sisto.
