EU urged to rethink policies on supporting shipbuilding

The German Shipbuilders Association has called for a fundamental restructuring of the framework conditions for European shipbuilding, as Asian yards and suppliers continue to take custom away from Europe.

The situation in Germany – and elsewhere in Europe – has become more acutely felt during the pandemic with the sudden drop in demand for new cruise vessels – a last bastion for European shipbuilders.

“Unfortunately, state-defined framework conditions play a central role in shipbuilding. As a German medium-sized company, you cannot counter strategic action by the Chinese state. That is why we need an active policy ” said its president and the managing director of Fassmer Service

“It is now about more than bridging the lack of demand as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The European shipbuilding industry has been losing market share for decades because, above all, in Asia, with massive subsidies, cutthroat competition is practiced and Europe is not doing anything about it ” added Bernard Meyer, managing director of MEYER WERFT GmbH & Co. KG, one of Germany’s largest shipyard groups.

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