Become a participant

It is Green Marine Europe’s goal to improve the marine industry’s environmental performance in concrete, measurable terms. To meet this objective, Green Marine Europe has adopted a set of guiding principles. In addition to respecting laws and applicable regulations, every company that joins Green Marine Europe agrees to:

• Demonstrate corporate leadership in the search for best environmental practices in accordance with a sustainable development approach;
• Carry out its activities in a responsible manner with a view to minimizing its environmental impacts;
• Aim for continuous improvement of its environmental performance;
• Develop and promote voluntary protection measures;
• Integrate sustainable development practices that are technically and economically achievable;
• Collaborate with governments and waterway stakeholders in developing the environmental program.

In order to obtain Green Marine Europe label, companies must:

1. Adhere to Green Marine Europe’s guiding principles regarding the need to continuously improve their environmental performance;
2. Pay the annual membership fee assessed to Green Marine Europe candidates;
3. Submit an annual self-evaluation report signed by the Chief Executive of the company (or the most senior regional representative) to Green Marine Europe;
4. Agree to the external verification conditions established by Green Marine Europe;
5. Agree to the publication of their self-evaluation results in Green Marine Europe’s Annual Performance Report and ont the Green Marine Europe website (except new candidates for the results arising from their first year of participation);
6. Initially attain Level 2 or higher for at least one performance indicator and thereafter demonstrate continual improvement by increasing at least one level in one indicator every year until level 2 is achieved in each indicator.

• The company must commit to complying with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and to diligently address any instances of non-compliance.
• If any major non-compliances where significant environmental impact has or may occur and where requested by Green Marine Europe, the company will provide to Green Marine Europe details of how the company plans to resolve the situation. Such measures provide Green Marine Europe with assurance that the non-compliance is being addressed; however, through these actions, Green Marine Europe does not assume any accountability or responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the action plan and/or assessing its adequacy.
• In instances of gross negligence or failure to address one or more issues of noncompliance, Green Marine Europe’s Steering Committee will have the option to terminate the candidate’s membership in the program.

All decisions related to Green Marine Europe’s labelling policy are subject to the discretion of the Green Marine Europe’s Steering Committee.