News
ITALIAN MARINE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION: EUROPEAN BOATING INDUSTRY FEDERATION RENEWS ITS BOARD
FABIO PLANAMENTE ELECTED TO THE NEW BOARD AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE LARGE YACHT SECTOR.
The General Assembly of the European Boating Industry federation (EBI), of which the Italian Marine Industry Association is a founding member, convened yesterday in Hamburg, Germany. The meeting acted as a key opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far in supporting the boating industry and to define the future direction within a dynamic European political context.
An important moment during the Assembly were the elections held for the renewal of the EBI Council, which will serve a two-year term. Fabio Planamente, Vice President of the Italian Marine Industry Association, was elected to the federation’s board, having been assigned the role of Special Representative for the Large Yacht Sector.
“I am honoured to have received such an important new assignment “, commented Planamente. “This role represents the result of all the work carried out with commitment and passion by the newly elected President of the Italian Marine Industry Association Piero Formenti, who has held the role of EBI President for two consecutive terms, as well as that of Vice President for the past two years. This mandate confirms the essential role played by the Italian Marine Industry Association on the international scene and the strategic importance of the large yacht sector at a global level, especially in today’s complex market phase“.
The new EBI Board will be led for the next two years by Robert Marx (VMWD/Germany) as President, Anne-Marie Bouweraerts (Nautibel/Belgium) as Vice President and Treasurer, and Jean-Paul Chapeleau (FIN/France) as Vice President. Alongside Fabio Planamente, Jordi Carrasco Abad (ANEN/Spain), Mirek Hajdukiewicz (POLBOAT/Poland), Jeroen van den Heuvel (HISWA-RECRON/Netherlands), Ana Čalić (CEA/Croatia) and Jarkko Pajusalo (FINNBOAT/Finland) were also elected as Council members.
“This represents an important signal – stated Piero Formenti – that of an Italian receiving such a significant delegation from the governance of the European Federation, consecrating the unmatched leadership position of the Italian large yacht industry both on a continental and global level. The most pressing topics that Fabio Planamente will be bringing up for discussion at EBI will be those related to US/EU tariffs and new propulsion.”
Key achievements during the Assembly included EBI’s new partnerships with the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which manages the Blue Flag recognition awarded to marinas. A permanent position was also created in EBI’s governance structure for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) working group in order to best support the upcoming implementation of the strategic project Blue Boat Horizon’s second phase, which includes a new partnership with NMMA and ICOMIA.
Two new full members joined the Assembly: ACAP-APICAN, representing Portugal, and the Fédération Française Ports de Plaisance, representing French marinas. In addition, the Slovenian Marine Industry Association (SMIA) also rejoined the association. With these new memberships, EBI now represents no less than 32 members in 21 European countries, reaching the highest level of representation since its foundation in 2009.
