The Croatian Shipowners' Association 'Mare Nostrum' decided to join ECSA as full member. The association counts ten members, who deploy a fleet of 141 ships, representing a tonnage of 1.7 million GT and 2.8 million DWT. Croatian shipowners employ 3264 seafarers. The Croatian fleet consists mainly of dry bulk vessels, but also comprises crude and product tankers as well as ferries.

Ms Maja Markovčić Kostelac, Director of the Croatian Shipowners’ Association 'Mare Nostrum' commented: "We are very proud and pleased to join ECSA, with which we share the same values and concerns. Being part of the ECSA family will enable us to interact with EU officials and decision-makers at all levels, and we will do our best to contribute to the creation of a friendly business environment to EU shipping, as well as to promote its values worldwide.”

"We are excited to welcome the youngest maritime EU Member State on board ECSA", said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, who attended a board meeting of Mare Nostrum in Dubrovnik earlier this week. "From the fruitful exchange of views we had in Dubrovnik it is clear that we share a common agenda, striving towards the competitiveness of European fleets and regulations. I very much look forward to cooperating with our Croatian colleagues."

The Croatian ECSA membership will become effective as of 1 January 2015.

For more information please contact:

Mr Patrick Verhoeven
ECSA Secretary General
Phone +32 2 510 61 26
Patrick.verhoeven@ecsa.eu

Or

Mr Dimitrios Banas
Manager – Communication and Information, Social Affairs
Phone +32 2 510 61 22
Dimitri.banas@ecsa.eu