UNION OF GREEK SHIPOWNERS
First established in 1916, the UGS represents Greek-owned and managed from Greece vessels over 3,000 gt under Greek and other European and third country flags. Greek shipping is the largest in the world, amounting to more than 5,500 vessels and accounting for more than 20% of global capacity (in deadweight tonnes). In terms of ship types, the Greek-owned fleet accounts for:
- 30.2% of the world oil tanker fleet
- 25.2% of the world bulk carriers
- 23.1% of the world Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers
- 14.9% of the world chemical & product tankers
- 13.2% of the world Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) carriers
- 8.6% of the world containerships
Greek shipping also accounts for more than 60% of the EU-controlled fleet and more specifically:
- 74.61% of the EU oil tanker fleet
- 80.05% of the EU bulk carriers
- 81.53% of the EU LNG carriers
- 16.49% of the EU containerships
The UGS supports and fosters policies ensuring a truly competitive business environment, free trade, global rules and regulations and first and foremost safety of life at sea and a sustainable environment.
With headquarters in Piraeus and permanent representatives in Brussels and Washington D.C., the UGS closely follows developments in the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and other global bodies. The UGS is a member of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA). The UGS is also a member of the Arctic Economic Council (AEC).
The UGS is active in engaging with international and EU institutions and stakeholders. Also, it maintains close working relationships with sector-specific industry organisations, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and individual classification societies, as well as with other national shipowners’ associations.