Forma’t al Port courses starts again with a hybrid format

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As a direct consequence of Covid-19, many educational institutions have had to rethink their modus operandi. With the majority of operations and activities moving to the virtual world, education has also undergone a major shift into the cyber-sphere.

With this in mind, the Escola has begun to develop materials and programmes that can be carried out in the virtual world. Sacrificing a little of the Escola’s unique experiential teaching approach, the new programmes will aim to transmit the expertise of its teachers to the students, by offering a mixture of online tours and videos, and theoretical lectures.

The first virtual session of the Forma’t al Port courses was held on 28 and 29 October and was attended by 40 students of Vocational Training in International Trade and Logistics and Transport. The theoretical classes focused on the operations carried out within the port environment, and introduced an amalgam of different actors active in the Catalan port through the presentations of the associations of the sector. The goal of the programme is to encourage dual-training opportunities and to bring the professional environment closer to young adults about to embark on their first employment experiences.

Forma't al Port port visit October 2020

Since the launch of the Forma’t al Port project in 2014, the Escola’s doors have seen thousands of young Catalan students pass through its doors in the pursuit of logistics knowledge and professions in the port sector. The courses, aimed at students of the final stages of secondary education, have been incredibly popular and now form part of the Escola’s regular courses. There are two types of courses offered: Forma’t al Port Introduction, which aims to give young students of the secondary schools of Catalonia an introduction to the professions within the Catalan maritime logistics sector; and Forma’t al Port Management – aims to give young students of the secondary schools of Catalonia a thorough understanding of the professions within the maritime logistics sector.

For more information you can visit the Forma’t al Port website or contact: formatalport@escolaeuropea.eu.

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future, a window to the world

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Logo - Smart Ports

Showing the world the advances in the digitalisation and sustainability of ports is necessary to promote the development and decarbonisation of maritime-port activities. Smart City Expo World Congress, an international event focused on urban evolution and innovation, has become the ideal setting in which to do this.

Therefore, in the ninth edition held in November 2019, the Port of Barcelona organised an exhibition space called Smart Ports: Piers of the Future to which it invited the most advanced ports in the world in this field. These ports were: Antwerp, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam.

Smart Ports - Piers of the Future 2019

Participants at the Smart Ports: Piers of the Future event at the 2019 Smart City World Congress Expo

A new edition of ‘Smart Ports: Piers of the Future’ is being held again this year and, as a novelty, the Port of Busan —the largest on the Korean peninsula— will also be present.

This time, due to the current pandemic, ‘Smart City Expo World Congress’ will be held in a virtual format called Smart City Live 2020. Similarly, ‘Smart Ports: Piers of the Future’ has developed its own 100% online platform where you can stream the event. The event will take place on November 17 and 18 under the motto ‘Thinking Ahead, Globally’.

The Smart Ports: Piers of the Future agenda includes topics such as: Digital Playbook, Innovative Technologies, Cybersecurity, Energy Transition, Smart Piers Cities and Blockchain, among others. In addition, as a partner of Smart City Live 2020, Smart Ports is collaborating on a panel to discuss ‘smart ports’ – ‘smart cities’. Jordi Torrent (Strategy Director of the Port of Barcelona), Jens Meier (CEO of the Port of Hamburg) and Gene Seroka (CEO of the Port of Los Angeles) will take part in this debate.

Smart Ports 2020 is emerging as the ideal opportunity for the exchange of ideas, projects and initiatives related to the sector, and will act as a global partner of Smart City Expo World Congress. It is an event of global relevance that seeks to give visibility to proposals, business models and innovation, focused on ports and their relationship with the world. This event will serve to show the importance of having a smart and digitalised port, committed to the environment but, above all, connected with the inhabitants of their cities and the planet.

Port Summit Trade Mission - Colombia 2020

Port Summit Trade Mission – Colombia 2020

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The Port of Barcelona will participate in its first ever hybrid Trade Mission between the 4th and 5th of November. The event will have representatives from Colombia as the main protagonists.

This hybrid event will see leaders from the Port of Barcelona and Colombia’s port logistics sector share their experiences through lectures, technical panels and bilateral meetings. It will be an excellent opportunity to establish commercial relations with counterparts from the Latin American country. It will also be the Port’s first event that will combine presencial and online events, allowing for a larger participation. It will be held 4 and 5 November with the logistic and port agents of Colombia and Spain, with the goal of improving and increasing trade relations and identifying new opportunities to negotiate and strengthen strategic alliances in the business and institutional environment.

The event will be open to members of the public interested in learning about the growing relationship between the two countries. To virtually attend the Trade Mission, you can register online to secure your place.

The Port of Barcelona is one of the Escola’s founding partners, and it is also its home base. Eduard Rodés, the director of the Escola, frequently participates in the port’s Trade Missions to help promote intermodal training in all corners of the world.

Institutional panel - YEP MED Kick Off Meeting

EU-funded YEP MED project to provide employment opportunities for the Mediterranean youth

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The 9th of September 2020 became the official start date of the project “Youth Employment in the Ports of the Mediterranean“, or YEP MED in short. The project, co-financed by the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) of the European Union and led by the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport (Spain), aims to develop port-logistics training and vocational (TVET) resources adapted to sector needs to strengthen youth employability; increase and upgrade local employment opportunities through the creation of real dual-learning programmes with job placements, strengthening the role of SME’s operating in the port ecosystems for future employment creation; and setting up collaborative national and transnational partnerships between port-logistics associations, operators, SMEs, training centres and VET providers, whilst introducing a public-private partnership (PPP) co-management process.

Between the 7th and the 8th of October, the project kicked off by bringing together representatives of the partner companies and stakeholders in a virtually-held international event. On the 7th of October, presidents of the participating public authorities and private entities gave their own analyses and outlooks on the logistic and transport sectors in the region. The second day of the conference was dedicated to meetings between the partners to lay down the groundwork for the months ahead.

“The digitalisation, environmental and sustainability aspects are currently a priority for all ports and port logistics communities.  Operations are also analyzed from the point of view of their impact. New generations must understand the impact of their decisions on the environment and must design sustainable logistics chains.” – Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

“For us you are not a common strategic project, because you are one of the best scored ever project submitted. We have very high expectations of you. It’s the first project on ports and it’s not easy to succeed. It’s impressive because you are gathering competitors and it is still a major achievement for the programme. You are here to cooperate in something so important as it is training.” – Vincent Ernoux, Coordinator of branch Office in Valencia Antena, representing the managing Authority of the ENI CBCMED Programme.

 

About YEP MED

 

YEP MED Logo

YEP MED logo

Counting with the participation of 11 partners from Spain, Italy, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, including public administrations such as Port de Barcelona (Spain), Autorità Portuale Mar Tirreno Centro Settentrionale (Italy), Port de Marseille-Fos (France), Damieta Port Authority (Egypt), Office de la Marine Marchande et des Ports (Tunisia), Aqaba Development Corporation (Jordan) and Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut (Lebanon), as well as training centres in each of the countries such as the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport and Fundación Valenciaport (Spain),  Arab Academy (Egypt) and Institut Méditerranéen de Formation aux Métiers Maritimes (Tunisia), the project will strengthen the networks between the different countries and build the young employment sector across the Mediterranean basin. Associated entities, such as MEDPorts Association and Consell Valencià de la Joventut will also join the project.

YEP MED project was approved under the ENI CBC MED Programme call for strategic projects in 2019. It is 90% co-financed by the European Union funds, and will receive 2.9 M€ throughout its 30-month duration. During the project implementation phase, the partners and associates of the project will create virtual courses and carry out trainings for both trainers and trainees, while at the same time creating a stable network that will ensure that the training continues after the end of the project, ensuring equal opportunities for women and for young people in the years to come. For more information, you can contact Concha Palacios at the project office, citing YEP MED in the subject line.

 

*This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union under the ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the Programme management structures. 

Earth - Nature shot

Our planet through the camera lens

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Eduard Rodés - Director of the Escola Europea Intermodal Transport

Written by: Eduard Rodés, director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

One of the beautiful things about cinema is that the narrative is constructed by responding to the director’s understanding and interpretation of the script. I have recently seen two docufilms that have put the spotlight on the current situation of our planet. The first one is by Sir David Frederick Attenborough (b. 1926). He has recently written and published a book  called “A Life on Our Planet” (2020), which is accompanied by a docufilm starring himself.

In these two works, both complementing each other, he explains that the planet Earth is on the verge of a sixth mass extinction caused by climate change and the savage exploitation of the Earth’s resources. In his subsequent analysis, he observes floods, droughts and an increase in the acidity of the oceans that will make it impracticable for any human activity.

The docufilm estimated that he first major disaster will take place in the Amazon, which by the 2030s will have 75% of its surface area already deforested – an ecological tragedy for the entire southern cone of the American continent. By 2050, the oceans will turn acidic from the carbon dioxide emitted by transport and the automotive industries. Around 2080 Attenborough predicts a new pandemic arising from the difficulty of finding sufficient water and from the barrenness of agricultural fields, which by then would be destroyed by centuries of fertilizer use, leaving them unfertile. In 2100 he predicts that there will be no wildlife left and that existing biota will be limited to that which humans produce exclusively for consumption. The 22nd century will not be better according to this prophetic predictions: with a migratory avalanche from the coast inland caused by sea levels rising and destroying the cities on the coast. This mass exodus will cause a great humanitarian crisis and inequalities to grow. Scarce rainfall will cause droughts and make water the most precious commodity above gold or oil. Agricultural production will be reduced, and fishing will have little to look for in the depths of the seas.

Sir Attenborough knows what he’s talking about. In his 93 years he has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its diversity and wonder. Now, for the first time he reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen. The narrative is presented through magnificent film production, and the added impressive presence of Attenborough himself is designed to  astonish the audience with the images and the messages shown, while looking for a positive and active reaction to the disaster that is looming. A reaction that sparks the unresolved “time to act” feeling, if there is still time to reverse the situation.

From a completely different standpoint, director Lucian Segura tackles the same problem in his work titled “1.5 Stay Alive” (2015). This is the story of oil and gas exploration in the Caribbean and the role played by Trinidad and Tobago in the world’s quest for “black gold” – oil – a commodity which today shapes our lives, rules our economies and influences our political society. The aim of international climate change policy is to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. However scientists believe that a temperature rise of just 1.5 degrees could lead to irreversible damage to ecosystems and terrestrial and marine environments. The style of 1.5 Stay Alive is part music video and part factual. In it, popular Caribbean musicians express their experiences with rising seas by composing and performing songs about climate change, and their visions of how to confront it.

Intertwined throughout the film are insights by scientists and local climate experts. The film visits Belize, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Miami and Louisiana. These regions are examples of the areas that will be, and some already are, affected by rising sea levels.

The film takes a closer look at this issue focusing on the Caribbean region. He describes the far-reaching consequences that such warming will have on biodiversity, fish stocks, coastal protection and the survival of Caribbean coral reefs. The documentary also shows how climate change will impact the people who live on the islands and along the Caribbean coastlines and whose living spaces and native lands are on the verge of being lost.

Both docufilms are available online:

You may wonder why I am talking about the planet using this platform and not focusing directly on intermodal transport. The reason is that for some time now I have come to the conclusion that everything is part of the same system. If we cannot understand what the scientists are telling us is happening, we will not understand the urgency of thinking and acting in order to achieve the maximum possible effort on our part to reverse the process and launch the path that will allow us to reverse the situation. We are part of the problem, so together let’s be part of the solution.

Cruise Roma - Grimaldi Lines

‘Shortsea’ proposed to be included in the future Sustainable Mobility Law

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Short sea shipping transport wants to be included in the future Sustainable Mobility Act, as it ensures that Ro-Pax traffic, a substantial part of the transport, and continues to help the viability of various services. Through this, the integration of maritime transport into logistics chains would be facilitated. This is one of the measures proposed by the Shortsea Promotion Centre Spain (SPC Spain) following the last meeting of the working group on the Sustainable Mobility Act on the 3rd of July 2020. The meeting was also attended by Manuel Carlier and Elena Seco of Anave, Patricio Arrarte and Amaia Sarasola from the Santander Port Authority, Ricardo García from the Escola Europea Intermodal Transport, Laura Fernández from Feteia and Mario Massarotti and Antonio Vargas from Grimaldi Lines. Representing SPC Spain were Pilar Tejo and Marta Poza.

The office of the Spanish Secretary General of Transport and Mobility announced that the draft of the rules for the Sustainable Mobility Act should be ready before the end of the year, and in the meantime contributions from different entities are welcome. Among these, SPC Spain insisted on measures to better manage and increase the capacity of railroads and inland waterways. Moreover, to reflect the impact that the price of transport has on the environment, the entity proposed that subsidies for fossil fuels should disappear. Another proposal was “to regulate access to EU ports for the most polluting ships and to require that those at berth use electricity ashore”.

To improve sustainability, SPC Spain urged the Spanish government to adopt measures for the gradual reduction of emissions generated by the consumption of fossil fuels from ships, boats, naval devices and physical platforms when they are moored or anchored in ports.

Boosting the Motorways of the Sea

The Spanish government will propose the creation and consolidation of sustainable logistics chains with origin or destination in ports through strategic initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ports, as well as in maritime or land transport chains with origins or destinations in ports.

These initiatives will aim, among others, to improve energy efficiency and air quality in port facilities, the generation or procurement of renewable energy in ports, promoting rail transport to and from ports, promoting the development of the Motorways of the Sea, improving road access, and encouraging the use of alternative energy in maritime transport, with particular attention to the use of this type of energy on berthed ships, and in accordance with the provisions of the European Union legislation on state aid.

In its conclusions, the entities propose to promote greater use of the maritime mode, enhancing SSS and the Motorways of the Sea, while pointing to possible actions to reduce their environmental impact both at sea and on land (such as tax exemptions for marine fuels, extending European emissions trading to the maritime sector, using alternative fuels and using electricity from land on ships at in ports).

Proposals for the Sustainable Mobility Law

Within the scope of the Sustainable Mobility Law, the proposals include:

  • Establishing that SSS in general and the Motorways of the Sea and regular roll-on roll-off transport lines in particular contribute effectively to the sustainability of the transport of goods (as it is the one that generates the least external costs to society) and to the necessary modal shift, therefore deserving to be the subject of governmental support measures.
  • Establishing the Motorways of the Sea and regular roll-on roll-off transport as the ideal instrument for facilitating the use of the maritime mode to road operators
  • The high number of port calls per year and their impact on the competitiveness of services (and therefore on their capacity to attract flows) makes them worthy of special treatment in ports.
  • Reviewing and specifying the definition of the Motorways of the Sea, and the possibility of creating a national seal of Motorways of the Sea that entitles members to certain advantages.
  • Establishing economic incentive measures aimed at stimulating the use of alternative fuels on berthed ships.
  • Possible reduction or elimination of the T-3 freight tariff.
  • Reduction in the cost of port services.
  • Incentives for the joint operation of transport companies in order to minimize the limitations inherent in the small business size of many transport companies.
  • Incentives for maritime intermodal operations for groups of companies.
  • Greater time flexibility for road hauliers using the maritime mode.

Source: Naucher Global

Puertos del Estado and the Escola Europea work to advance training in the field of transport

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The Spanish Ports organisations – Puertos del Estado (PdE)– represented by its president Francisco Toledo – held a videoconference with representatives from the Escola Europea – led by Eduard Rodés – on the 15th of July 2020. This working meeting marked the starting point in the road towards the drafting of a general agreement between the two entities. The areas covered during the meeting include those maintained since 2004 for the promotion of short sea shipping. Puertos del Estado has promoted shortsea and railway courses, given partial scholarships for port authority staff and provided teachers since the Escola’s founding. Some of the teachers who have represented PdE in the Escola’s courses include Álvaro Rodriguez Dapena, Antonio Góngora and Jaime Luezas, who is also a member of the Escola’s Academic Committee on behalf of Puertos del Estado.

Alongside the main areas of activities of the Escola, other proposals in the field of education in the logistics-port communities and railway intermodality have also been analysed, some which are in the development phase and where there are points where collaboration could allow for important synergies.

Francisco Toledo undertook to work with his team on a more stable relationship framework with the Escola, based on ongoing projects and submitted proposals. The Escola and Puertos del Estado have been able to maintain a very good relationship of collaboration since 2004, before the Escola was founded in the shape and form that it is known today, following the first course that took place in 2004 with the Port of Barcelona. PdE has also been involved with the Shortsea Promotion Center of Spain in the development of the Escola since 2006 under the framework of the European Marco Polo Programme.

“It has been a lasting and fruitful relationship for both parties. We must now continue to add fuel to the fire to keep this collaboration alive, adapting it to the changes that are taking place” commented Rodés following the meeting. The director of the Escola also praised the president of the OPPE, outlining his profile as a connoisseur of the port business, a key point that facilitates his dialogue with and knowledge of the sector.

Virtual Meetings are becoming the norm

Towards blue virtual training

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Lidia Slawinska

Written by Lidia Slawinska, Consultant

In recent times a vast number of technological transformations has encompassed the maritime sphere. A recent study (2020) commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) analysed different social aspects of the maritime transport of goods, and identified two technological trends that are particularly visible on the blue horizon in the near future: autonomous and intelligent shipping. The prediction is that in the next three decades these two developments will have become the norm. Ship workers will soon be surrounded by technology that assists in the vessel’s functions, leading to a potential operational redundancy. Terminal operators and freight forwarders will have to deal with smart ports, the Internet of Things, and virtual realities, and the role of the ship operators will shift towards the virtual sphere. This implies a very different training paradigm for the future transport professional – as very different skills will become invaluable. Future professionals will need to acquire an amalgam of different skills, blending the mechanical with the technological, and educational institutions will need to adapt. Covid-19 has doubtlessly accelerated this timeline towards virtual training.

The maritime industry is playing an essential role in the short-term emergency response to COVID-19 by easing the transport flows of vital commodities and products. Although a considerable number of ports has succeeded to stay open to cargo operations, the sector has been hit regardless, and economic losses have been recorded by ports across the Mediterranean. Most of the ports still remain closed to passenger traffic. Mid and long-term recovery will need to further enhance sustainability and resilience of the maritime transport sector as a whole, for sustaining jobs, international trade, and global economy, as much as possible.

The Coronavirus pandemic been instrumental in shifting the ways in which we operate. Overcoming physical distances has become essential to ensure the continued development of businesses ranging across all industries – with the education sector particularly being hit hard. The solution for many has been to turn towards digitisation. Automation, artificial intelligence and the growth of the Internet of Things has enabled many companies and institutions to reshape their business models and operate in remote environments.

The growth of the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is facilitating the move towards a virtual training reality

For a centre like the Escola, which relies on experiential learning methodologies, the technological shift has proved particularly tricky. It’s proven approach towards delivering knowledge through a combination of theoretical lectures and practical workshops is quite difficult to replicate in a digital environment – even with the help of the increasingly popular online meeting applications such as Zoom, WebEx and Go2Meeting. A solution has presented itself in the form of a new project – YEP-MED, or the “Youth Employment in the Ports of the Mediterranean”, which will be launched in September 2020.

The project, headed by the Escola Europea and with 11 partners coming from 7 countries on the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, France, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan), has been selected as one of the projects under the European Neighbourhood Instrument CBCMED in 2020 (http://www.enicbcmed.eu/) . The goals of the project are to adapt training to the sector’s real needs and allow for the acquisition of skills to succeed in the work context; to strengthen the ability of Port Authorities and training centres to combine training and job placements by collaborating with at least 600 companies in 7 countries of the ENI area; and increasing employment rates of young people and women and offering them a real possibility to work within personalised mentoring and tutor programs.

How will this training be offered, in the aftermath of Covid-19? To replace the regular experiential approach of the Escola’s proven methodology, YEP-MED will take the training into the virtual world. The students will take part in teleconferences during workshops and debates with professionals and teachers. These will be accompanied by online on-demand training, which the students will need to complete during the 3 week long courses. If the health-related crisis subsides and the situation permits it, visits to port installations will accompany the on-demand classes. The final element to cement knowledge acquisition will be simulation. Working with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, the project partners will re-create digital twins of the port communities involved in the project. They will then ask the participants to take over practice enterprises and solve certain case studies involving transport operations. This system will ensure that the participants (albeit remotely) experience the operations themselves, and gain a considerable amount of experience before entering the work force.

Whether or not this new approach will prove effective, and will become the blueprint to use in future maritime training schemes, is to be seen. Being able to experience the operations in a world as complex as the maritime world is essential to prepare young people for real life operations. The virtual world cannot ever completely replace the physical experience – but in today’s reality it is the best option that educators have to prepare future professionals. Automated processes on board of ships, the internet of things, and smart ports all contribute and make the ERP more reliable and easier to programme. Different sectors have already taken the virtual plunge with training (air transport being one of the most famous ones, given the high cost and risk of real-life tests). Perhaps the sea is next in line.

 

Written by:

  • Lidia Slawinska

 

Useful links:

RePort project nearing its close – 26 trucks modified to run on natural gas

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On the 10th of June 2020, the final training organised under the RePort project took place, which focused on the efficient driving techniques of vehicles equipped with natural gas. The participants followed strict health and safety guidelines applied in accordance with the Spanish government guidelines aimed to limit the spread of Covid-19.

The training consisted of a theoretical class on efficient driving techniques of trucks transformed to run on Natural Gas under the framework of the RePort project, as well as practical workshops in said trucks and with drivers who have attended previous theoretical parts of the training but had yet to complete the practical aspects.

In total, throughout the lifetime of the project, 26 trucks have been adapted to carry natural gas, and their respective drivers have received the corresponding training to operate them safely and efficiently.

The RePort project begun in January 2016. It aims to reduce the air pollutant and acoustic emissions at the Port of Barcelona, with the overall goal of improving the air quality of the city. The project, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, is nearing its end.

RePort - Mobilitat Eco

The overall goal of the RePort has been to develop an innovative technology to convert Diesel engines into Dual-Fuel ones, making it possible for them to run on gas, therewith making them more sustainable and less polluting. The partners have been contributing to the consolidation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a real, efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. This helped contribute to the development of a logistics hub within the port area where trucks run on these alternative fuels. This has been in line with the Port of Barcelona’s Sustainable Development Plan, which has set guidelines for a new and more sustainable industrial transportation sector to emerge in the Catalan capital.

The partners involved in RePort are:

The RePort project will finalise in July 2020.

Changes made to the Escola’s Steering and Academic Committees

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Distance learning, digitalisation and courses that provide answers to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic will mark the evolution of the Escola Europea in the near future.

During the Steering Committee of the Escola Europea, held on the 22nd of April 2020, Catalina Grimalt for the Port of Barcelona and Mario Massaroti for the Grimaldi Group were added to the members of the Executive Committee. This was in accordance with the agreement adopted by the Governing Council presided over by the President of the Port of Barcelona, Mercè Conesa, and which also had the President of the Ports of Genoa, Paolo Emilio Signorini; the President of Ports of Rome, Antonio Maria di Majo; the CEO of GNV, Matteo Catani, and the members of the Executive Committee Eduard Rodés, Silvio Ferrando, Antonio Pedevila, Mario Massarotti, Catalina Grimalt, Pedro Arellano and Luca Lupi participated.

The Steering Committe also approved changes to the Academic Committee. Marta Miquel, representing the Escola Europea, and taking on the role of the secretary of the Committee; Lluis París for the Port of Barcelona; Leonardo Picozzi, representing the Ports of Genoa; Giovanni Marinucci for the Ports of Rome; and Agustí Martí for the Faculty of Nautics of Barcelona-UPC, were incorporated to the list of members.

As a result of the current global health crisis, new initiatives of the Escola Europea linked to the teaching of courses that combine an online part for theory and a physical part for practical workshops, as well as the development of new courses related to the safety and protection regulations that are going to be implemented as a consequence of COVID-19, have been approved.

The Committee was informed of the recent approval of two projects in the field of training and employment under the European Commission’s ENI-CBCMED programme. The YEP-MED project led by the Escola Europea with a budget of EUR 3 million and involving 7 countries from the Mediterranean basin; and the TECHLOG project led by the University of Cagliari with a budget of EUR 3,5 million. Both projects have a duration period of 30 months.

Some current issues were also discussed, such as the important work of the shipping companies in the repatriation of persons who were travelling at the time the state of emergency and lockdown were announced. President Conesa emphasized the importance of the collaboration of Grimaldi Lines and GNV, which has helped manage extremely complex situations.

The Council agreed to hold an emergency meeting at the end of June to better monitor developments in the overall situation.