Union of Greek Shipowners

"Seven Seas"
by Athina Rachel Tsangari

On the occasion of its 100 years anniversary, the UGS commissioned the renowned filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari to create a film that salutes the Greek seafaring family which laboured at home and in the far corners of the Earth to reach and retain the summit of world shipping.
Enjoy Seven Seas, a tribute to the Greek maritime tradition and its legacy.

Press releases

The Union of Greek Shipowners backs Greek proposal to limit main engine power of ships as an immediately effective measure to reduce GHG emissions from ships

Piraeus, 16.10.2019

In the context of materialising the United Nations International Maritime Organization’s (UN IMO) Initial Strategy for the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, Greece, as the leading traditional maritime country, has come forward with a concrete proposal for a short-term, prescriptive measure to improve the operational energy efficiency of existing ships, to be considered at the forthcoming meeting of the UN IMO’s intersessional technical group in November (11-15.11.2019).

Greek Shipowners applaud the adoption by the UN IMO MSC 101 of a specific action plan to deal with the critical safety issues and liability implications associated with the 0.5% sulphur marine fuels

Piraeus, 18.06.2019

The Union of the Greek Shipowners (UGS) warmly welcomes the decision of the Maritime Safety Committee (London, 5-14 June 2019) of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (UN IMO) to adopt an action plan for mandatory measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of fuel oil, as well as Resolution MSC.465(101) recommending as a matter of urgency governments to, inter alia, take action against oil fuel suppliers in confirmed cases of deliveries of fuel oil that does not comply with the minimum flashpoint as required by the SOLAS Convention. States around the world are urged to make full use of this Resolution as an important tool in order to take appropriate measures imminently to safeguard the safety of ships.

Meeting of the Union of Greek Shipowners with the Hong Kong Shipowners Association

Piraeus, 06.06.2019

In the wake of the seminal UN IMO / Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74) meeting, the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) met in Hong Kong on 23 May 2019 in order to discuss the results of this important meeting and the ongoing issues as well as how the industry can best contribute to successful developments.

Theodore E. Veniamis

President of the UGS

“At a national level, Greek-owned shipping has, by its very nature, continued to be recognised as a national asset, above political parties. Maintaining its close ties with the country remains a common goal of both the State and shipowners. The prerequisite is that it must continue to be internationally competitive and therefore sustainable. In addition, the State can capitalise on the dynamics of deep-sea shipping and the maritime cluster as well as the economic and political circumstances in Europe to create a wider, business-friendly platform for development that will significantly enhance Greece’s position as an international maritime hub with strong prospects for boosting the added value for the economy.

Greek shipping’s contribution to Greece is multifaceted, providing diverse opportunities which the State should utilise, capitalising on the country’s important geopolitical position and its leading modern shipping capability, which is an integral element of its national identity and a defining characteristic of its people.”

Shipping today

Greek shipping and the economy

The global economy started in 2018 on a positive note but, as industrial production decelerated, trade slowed and business confidence fell, the momentum lost steam. Global growth, which peaked at close to 4% in 2017, moderated to 3.6% in 2018 and is projected to decline further to 3.3% in 2019.

Shipping policy

The UGS, representing the interests of Greek-owned shipping, follows closely developments in the area of shipping policy, engaging constructively in the formulation of the collective...

Maritime Safety and Protection of the Environment

Maritime safety and the protection of the environment depends on a chain of collective responsibility, namely, flag states, port states, shipowners, ship operators, shipbuilders....