The Union has decided to address a highly topical issue, given the exponential growth over the years in the size of ships calling at our ports, particularly passenger vessels and container ships. Despite this trend, port infrastructure has not undergone significant structural changes, nor do there appear to be immediate plans for such upgrades, with the notable exception of the new breakwater project in Genoa. In this context, maneuvering within port limits requires increasingly complex technical expertise and, at the same time, gives rise to greater risks, both for those directly involved in handling the vessel and for the bodies responsible for ensuring safe operations. These critical issues, which can arise during maneuvering, affect various stakeholders, foremost among them the shipmasters whom our organization is proud to represent. Other involved parties include the Port Authorities (including the General Headquarters), the Port System Authorities (and their association, Assoporti), port users and their representative associations and technical-nautical service providers. This phenomenon is, of course, not limited to our ports alone. Indeed, recent years have seen accidents that, due to their scale and potential consequences, set new precedents requiring careful study regarding their wide-ranging implications.