A Confluence of Interests in Filipino Seafarers' Employment on EU-Flagged Ships The European Commission as Regulatory Intermediary in Philippine Compliance to the STCW Convention

Over a 15-year period beginning in 2006, the European Commission (EC), through the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), inspected Philippine compliance to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), which governs globally the training, certification, and watchkeeping of seafarers. This article examines the EC as a regulatory actor, approaching it through the lens of regulatory intermediation. Drawing on interviews and analysis of documents, reports, and secondary literature, it identifies a confluence of interests among the regulator, intermediary, and target as a vitally important element that led to an outcome beneficial to all but especially the EU and the Philippines. The Philippines implemented the most consequential reforms ever undertaken in its maritime administration and education infrastructure, resulting in the EC's continued recognition of the certificates of Filipino seafarers that guaranteed their continued employment on European Union (EU)-flagged ships.

Disclaimer: This article is part of AspirE’s forthcoming collection of empirical papers in International Migration journal. These papers draw from policy content analysis and semi-structured interviews with migration experts (Work Package 2 data collection).