ETA resorted to organise its 57th AGM via webconference for the first time in its history. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in our lives ETA and this year´s AGM host, Mainport were obliged to postpone the celebration of the Annual Meeting in Cork at the end of May. But in spite of the current constraints, ETA members were able to discuss the future of the Association and the sector’ s present digitally, specifically the extension of the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation and the EU policies and legislation presented to implement the European Green Deal.
This Annual General Meeting was the first for five new members, EDT Offshore (Cyprus), Lybboussakis and Megatugs (Greece), Louis Meyer (Germany) and Odiel Towage (Spain). With this additions, ETA reaches the number of 88 members in 26 European countries.
Among other issues, the participants addressed the challenges posed by the pandemic which has caused a fall in ports traffic. Several members agreed that in spite of the activity reduction the situation was difficult but still manageable. The companies who registered sharper reductions in port calls were those operating in terminals where cruise traffic is significant as the pandemic has suspended all cruise industry activities.
We want to thank all attendants for their participation and we hope to meet them all in person soon, either in Cork in 2021 or during the Autumn in a 3rd ETA Autumn Conference that still has to be confirmed.
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