The Danish Shipowners' Association regards the UN organization, IMO, as the main international forum for dealing with safety at sea and environmental protection matters.

The number of accidents at sea where ships are declared a total loss is declining, and the number of substandard vessels detained through port state control is likewise decreasing. Today, the most significant problem in relation to safety at sea seems to be the lack of compliance with existing international regulations. In particular, the flag state control carried out by national maritime authorities or appointed classification societies needs to be further improved in several countries.

The problem with lack of compliance was highlighted by the environmental disaster following the sinking of the Maltese tanker "Erika" off the French coast. It is important to ensure that existing regulations on control systems and procedures applicable to ships are properly observed and adhered to, rather than to establish new procedures and regimes that add an extra burden on the shipowners who are already complying with regulations.

The recent implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) code has clearly been an important step towards enhancing safety at sea. Nevertheless, a distinct need still exists to subject substandard operators to more efficient and targeted port state control, as well as to exert renewed pressure on the flag state administrations and classification societies which do not live up to their responsibility of regular control of national flag carriers. Efforts should focus on developing a broader awareness and sense of responsibility, not only among shipowners and national administrations, but also among the customers who fuel the demand for substandard vessels.
The health and safety of seafarers is closely related to the working environment, and on Danish ships the working conditions meet the same standards as ashore. Recent EU legislation has resulted in a need to amend landbased regulations and adapt them for application on board ships, as well as to ensure cohesion with existing maritime safety legislation.

A second compelling issue, in addition to the urgency of prioritizing safety at sea, is protection of the environment. Shipping is basically an environmentally friendly mode of transport. Comprehensive international regulations on environmentalprotection equipment on board ships are in force, but these regulations must be followed up by adequate waste reception facilities in ports. International recommendations on preventing the spread of harmful organic micro organisms through a ship's ballast tank water and prohibiting the use of toxic ship paint are some of the important environmental issues currently being addressed by the IMO.

The pollution of the French coast following the sinking of the Maltese oil tanker "Erika" has also resulted in new proposals on the safety of oil tankers. As a consequence of previous oil tanker accidents, numerous new requirements were introduced already in the 1990s, including requirements for doublehulled tankers. The proposed regulations call for an international discussion in the IMO. First of all, however, it is of paramount importance that existing regulations be strictly enforced, and that the classification societies' control of ship structures must constitute a guarantee of the ship's seaworthiness.

A topic that has recently attracted attention in the international shipping industry is the scrapping of ships. In some parts of the world, ships are scrapped with little regard for safety or environmental hazards. International solutions to this problem are clearly required, and it is crucial that such solutions are designed in a way that does not make it possible for owners to extricate themselves from their duty to scrap unsafe or obsolete ships.

Pirate attacks on merchant vessels still occur in a few regions of the world. More international pressure must be exerted towards such discreditable practices in order to find quicker and more effective ways of dealing with this problem. The Danish maritime authorities have committed themselves to the ongoing battle against piracy by participating in international seminars and conferences to set guidelines on how to address this unacceptable and anachronistic practice.