Mr Sotiris Raptis becomes the new Secretary General of ECSA

Mr. Sotiris Raptis was appointed by the General Assembly of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) as the new Secretary General of the Association. Mr Sotiris Raptis (41) has a long political career in the EU, having worked for various organisations in Brussels over the past 14 years. After joining the ECSA as Director of Environment and Security, in 2020, he became Secretary General, over the past seven months.

“We warmly welcome Sotiris Raptis to his new position as Secretary General and look forward to continuous cooperation in the future. The European maritime industry faces unprecedented challenges as we work towards our common decarbonisation goal. Achieving strong and effective legislation at a european level is crucial. At the same time, the pandemic and war in Ukraine have shown us the need to adapt and become a more resilient and competitive industry. Sotiris combines great know-how, strong ambition and has a dedicated team to help the shipping industry meet every challenge,” said ECSA President, Mr Philippos Filis.

Energy transition and climate crisis challenges

On his part, the new Secretary General of the ECSA, Mr Sotiris Raptis, stressed: “I look forward to continuing my work with the ECSA team, our members and industry and civil society organisations. The climate crisis, the energy transition and the competitiveness of the sector are major challenges. A number of new EU climate policies will be introduced over the next two years and this marks an important moment for the industry. It is important that the proposals, ambition and concerns of the industry are taken into account by the EU institutions. Being an open, constructive and evidence-based partner is a top priority for ECSA. ”

Prior to joining the ECSA in 2020, Sotiris held many positions in the European Parliament and in various bodies, such as the European Maritime Ports Agency and the NGO Transport & Environment. During his tenure at T&E, he participated in a number of campaigns, such as the one to include shipping in the ETS. Mr Raptis is a qualified lawyer, with degrees from the University of Thessaloniki, the University of Athens and the King’s College in London. In 2008, he was awarded the European Citizens’ Prize by the European Parliament as a member of the “G700” blog to promote intergenerational justice.