About us

Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues “17+1”

Mission

The Coordinating Secretariat is situated at the former Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation of the Republic of Poland.

It is a part of a larger system of coordinating centres of 17+1 format, closely cooperating with other centres. The Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues acts towards combining political and business aspects.

The role of maritime problems in “17+1” cooperation cannot be underestimated. Due to considerable geographic distance between the People’s Republic of China and the European states, maritime transport remains the most effective means of Euro-Asian trade, combining the potential of large quantities of shipped goods, advantageous  prices and reliability. For this reason, maritime transport may be utilised as main or complementary means of transport in relation to other types of transport, in particular in relation to Euro-Asian railways, such as i.e. the Chengdu-Łódź rail connection.

Within the scope of Secretariat activities, entities from each 17+1 format countries are granted the possibility to publish their own content, such as information on enterprises and their offers, development plans, or cooperation capabilities. International events within the scope of maritime affairs, such as seminars, conferences and fairs will also be promoted. The activities of the Secretariat shall culminate in the so-called matchmaking – communications between enterprises, aimed at establishing friendly and mutually advantageous business relations.

The main prospective instruments include:

CEEC-China Maritime Review

The Secretariat shall collect information on seaports from “17+1” member states, to be published in keeping with a format mutually agreed upon in advance. The publication shall present statistical data concerning, for instance, handling of goods and shipment growth rates, as well as investments completed and still in the pipeline, as well as projects already under implementation at seaports, including in particular within the area of industrial clusters, scientific and technological parks and special economic zones.

Annual Meetings of Experts

CEEC-China Maritime Review shall be analysed and summarised in the course of annual meetings of experts from “17+1” countries. The matters discussed shall include, inter alia, current condition of seaports and coastal regions, as well as the most important future challenges.

CEEC-China Maritime Bulletin

Each of the “17+1” format member states shall be granted the possibility to publish its own CEEC-China Maritime Bulletin. The periodical shall be published as the texts are filed, and will present most current information from “17+1” member states. The following entities will use the CEEC-China Maritime Bulletin:

• Enterprises – as information carrier concerning planned or pending investment projects, as well as (in particular to Chinese entrepreneurs) presentation of their profiles to potentially interested business partners;
• Experts – for analysis of current situation in maritime policy and/or recommendations for the future;
• Public Administration – to present official strategies in maritime affairs.

Internet site

All periodicals (China-CEEC Maritime Review, China-CEEC Maritime Bulletin) shall be published in PDF format on Secretariat website, in keeping with the assumptions to public access to information to all Internet users. Hence, the publications will be available for use for promotional purposes, also in relation to countries from outside the “17+1” format.

Maritime Forum

Depending upon needs, but at least every 3 years, a regular Maritime Forum will be organised. The Forum shall provide space for exchange of views between ports. The Forum shall consist of conference part and commercial (trade fair) part. The access to this event will not be limited to interested entities.

Activities planned in 2020     

1. Actions supporting the unblocking of the Chinese market for Polish fish products and increasing trade with China;
2. Dialogue on the establishment of the Polish-Chinese Research Institute for Inland Navigation;
3. Support for the development of new rail connections with Chinese land and sea ports as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which will promote closer cooperation between 17 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the People’s Republic of China;
4. Support for the creation of new supply chains between China and the Baltic Sea ports as part of the New Silk Road, including the strengthening of competitive advantage over other ports in China and the Baltic Sea ports;
5. Promotion of increasing load flows from and to China by sea and rail;
6. Actions conducive to strengthening cooperation between 17 + 1 countries in the field of maritime economy and inland navigation through:

• • developing expert cooperation with maritime administrations to analyze the current situation in maritime policy (official strategies in the field of maritime issues) or recommendations for the future;
  • organization of multilateral meetings in Poland at the level of maritime administrations of 17 + 1 format countries;
  • participation in bilateral and multilateral and events promoting cooperation between the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the People’s Republic of China in the field of maritime economy;

GDPR information clause

The Coordinating Secretariat attaches great importance to the protection of your personal data. The collection, processing and use of personal data for the purpose of the Secretariat’s operations strictly comply with relevant data protection provisions.

Information Clause

Pursuant to Article 13(1) and (2) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (Official Journal of the EU L 119 of 4th orf May 2016, p. 1), hereinafter referred to as the GDPR, We inform you that:

1. The administrator of your personal data is the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation with its registered office in Warsaw at ul. Nowy Świat 6/12, hereinafter referred to as “Administrator”;

2. Your personal data will be processed in order to service the Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime
Issues “17+1”;

3. The basis for the processing of Your personal data is art. 6 (1) (e) of GDPR; processing is necessary to perform a task carried out in the public interest or as part of exercising public authority entrusted to the administrator; The public interest is to maintain and develop international cooperation;

4. In connection with data processing in the above purpose, Your personal data may be transferred to entities processing personal data at the request of the Administrator with whom the Administrator has concluded agreements entrusting the processing of personal data or entities authorized under the law;

5. Providing data is necessary to handle the Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues “17+1”;

6. The recipients of Your personal data may be a third country or international organization;

7. You have the right to:

-request access to personal data concerning you, rectification or limitation of its processing;

-object to the processing of personal data for reasons related to your specific situation;

-submitting, in disputable matters, a complaint to the supervisory body – the President of the Office for Personal Data Protection;

8. Your personal data is not subject to automated decision making, including profiling;

9. Your personal data will be stored for a period of 5 years, and after time they will be subject to archival expertise due to their nature, content and meaning which results from the archiving rules;

10. Contact details of the Data Protection Officer at the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation: Data protection officer, Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, ul. Nowy Świat 6/12, 00-400 Warsaw, e-mail address: IOD@mgm.gov.pl.