The concept of a European Maritime Space for Socially Sustainable Shipping, is the ETF’s Maritime Transport Section Vision for addressing Social Dumping and boosting employment for EU/EEA seafarers in an innovative way. After years of discussing “manning issues” (defined to include wages) with the European Commission and the shipowners, this concept puts our key priorities at the core of the Brussels debate again. We believe it takes the discussion forward and puts seafarers’ welfare at its core. This concept is pointing out, the need for a complete reform if not complete eradication of the system of Flags of Convenience (FOC) – European shipowners, are allowed to operate in European waters with ships under FOC and to hire seafarers globally, mainly 3rd country nationals, on lesser terms than member state flagged vessels. At the same time, these same shipowners benefit from and enjoy the privileges of EU legislative framework and State Aid, without having the responsibility to apply EU law and EU Social Standards for their workers. European seafarers therefore end up competing directly with seafarers coming from countries with much lower employment terms and conditions. So, in this race to the bottom, we have working and living conditions and rights and payments, that are substandard compared to those specified by EU Law and/or EU based collective agreements which is a clear case of Social Dumping. (....)