Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1503641
3 NEWS 13.7.2023 Formalising Malta's EEZ will give potential investors peace of mind EXPRESS TRAILERS' new interna- tional logistics hub in Genoa, Italy, an investment of over €6 million, is now complete and fully operational. e project commenced in 2018 when the company established Express Trail- ers S.r.l.u. and onboarded a logistics team based in Genoa to oversee the project from start to completion and acquired the site in Genoa were to build its new hub. "Spread across an area of 4,500 sqm, e Express Trailers Logistics Hub in Genoa is one of our most ambitious projects which today, effectively makes Express Trailers an international com- pany with growth prospects for further internationalisation," Frans Vella, Direc- tor at Express Trailers, said. "Malta remains an important cluster for the handling of international trad- ing companies' distribution in the Eu- ropean market. We strategically chose Genoa as our main hub on mainland Europe which now enables us to operate our network of depots across Europe in a more optimized manner. e Genoa hub not only allows us to operate more efficiently but also in a more sustainable manner," Vella said. Express Trailers' Logistics Hub in Genoa is being managed by an experi- enced Italian logistics team led by Man- aging Director Luciano Bacigalupi, a veteran in the shipping, transport and logistics sectors in Italy where he has worked for more than 35 years in the industry and is an active member of the Shipping community of Genoa. "e Express Trailers Logistics Hub in Genoa will be mainly focused on the setting and managing of tailored logis- tics projects in Italy for international accounts. anks to the professional- ism and talented personnel, the com- pany can cater for niche activities such as special and project cargo and consol- idation, as well as multimodal and rail transportation. Our strong network in Italy and abroad allows Express Trail- ers S.r.l.u. to optimize its logistics and be a reliable point of reference in Italy for all customers and agents around the world," Bacigalupi said. With its geographical position and customs and fiscal procedures, Italy represents the best European gateway for foreign companies, especially those who are interested in developing their commercial presence in Europe. More specifically, Genoa remains the most important and better located port from where Express Trailers has been nur- turing its European network since its inception. "Our internationalisation efforts re- flect our strong values and a clear and well-shared vision that reflects our company's ability to understand the evolution of modern supply chains, economy and markets and to plan the business growth accordingly," Vella said. "Although we are established leaders in transport and logistics, we cherish the art of customization, teamwork, and the ability to cooperate with clients on any project, putting our experience and flexibility at the service of our clients. Having a logistics hub in Genoa finally enables us to offer a stronger and more efficient service." "Besides satisfying our obligation to comply with recent new mobility EU regulations that require drivers to take their periodic rest as required by law, we also ensured that our Express Trailers Logistics Hub in Genoa to be another comfortable home for our international drivers where to take their much-need- ed rest in between trips. e Logistics Hub is in fact equipped with all neces- sary facilities including kitchen, laun- dry, living room, bedrooms and a gym as well as facilities where our drivers are provided with ongoing training," he said. Express Trailers completes new €6 million international logistics hub in Genoa Express Trailers invested over €6 million new international logistics hub in Genoa in Italy FROM PAGE 1 "At the forefront of these potential pro- jects are those in the energy sector," he added. "We want to exploit this potential out- side the Maltese territory to produce re- newable energy that leads to the vision we set for the Mediterranean to be a clean energy hub and Malta a leader," Abela said. Abela acknowledged criticism of renew- able energy projects carried out on land, saying that it is not easy to have solar farms or wind farms in a small country like Malta. "Although everyone agrees with the need to have such projects, you often end up having to ruin beautiful places in the countryside. is is why we thought to adopt new technologies that can work be- yond our shores," he said. Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, who is piloting these changes, said formalising Malta's EEZ will give potential investors peace of mind. He said the EEZ will stretch beyond 12 nautical miles (the stretch of sea up to 12 miles is deemed to be territorial waters) up to 25 nautical miles. He insisted, how- ever, that this did not mean Malta will de- velop all this stretch of sea but define in- dividual EEZs within this area depending on the projects being considered. "ere is enough space around us in the sea to develop for economic activity without having to bicker with any of our neighbours," Caruana said. He added that there will be no projects on Hurd's Bank, which is a shallow area in international waters off the Marsaska- la coastline used for bunkering purposes by ships. "We do not want any of the new projects to disrupt this important loca- tion for the shipping industry." Government is considering options for floating wind and solar energy farms; the possibility of developing clean hydrogen; and fish farms. Opposition MP Carm Mifsud Bonnici welcomed the legal changes as "a triumph without triumphalism", adding that the geopolitical situation in the Mediterrane- an today allowed the country to pass such laws without creating discord in neigh- bouring capitals. He also saluted past Nationalist admin- istrations for resisting international pres- sure for Malta to give up its large search and rescue area at a time when migration was a cause for bickering with Italy. "e message given then was that Malta was not going to give up any inch of the seas under its responsibility and that was important because it reaffirmed our sov- ereignty as a country that today allows us to declare the creation of EEZs," Mifsud Bonnici said. He agreed with Caruana that most of the areas do not conflict with competing claims from neighbouring countries but suggested that in disputed areas Malta should propose international protocols of how these could be utilised. Mifsud Bonnici said it was also impor- tant for the country to develop its capac- ity to manage any oil spills that could oc- cur in the seas around Malta. Opposition MP Eve Borg Bonello ques- tioned why it took government so long to have a change of heart in considering off- shore wind farms. e incoming Labour government in 2013 had put previous plans for a near- shore windfarm on hold, subsequently abandoning the idea altogether. Opposition maritime affairs spokesper- son Ivan Castillo agreed with the Bill, em- phasizing the importance of creating a le- gal framework that is compliant with the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. Castillo said the country needed fore- sight when allocating the areas and zones for different projects, keeping also in mind Malta's strategic location in the cen- tre of the Mediterranean's shipping route. "Navigation routes must not be affected as Malta does benefit from these routes especially when 33% of sea traffic passes between the Straights of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal," he said. He added that the potential for Malta to become a green energy hub exists but this also required studies in relation to the risks associated with ship traffic. Castillo said bunkering activity at Hurd's Bank should not be disrupted since this gives the Maltese shipping sector a com- petitive edge but insisted the sector can continue to flourish if economic devel- opment zones are used "responsibly and correctly".