European Maritime Law Organisation

What European Maritime Law Organisation does

The European Maritime Law Organisation (EMLO) is a non-commercial, unincorporated members' association established in 1991 to provide a neutral and independent forum for debate and research on EU maritime affairs. Headquartered at Peek House, 20 Eastcheap, London, the organization is governed by a Council of approximately 28 named members drawn from leading European maritime law practices, and operates with a small officer team comprising a Chair (Vincent Power), Treasurer (Rob Murray), and Membership Secretary (Tess Bright). Its primary constituents are shipping lawyers, in-house maritime counsel, academics in maritime and EU law, compliance officers from shipowners and forwarders, EU and government maritime policy bodies, and trade associations.

EMLO's core product set consists of three offerings: an Annual Conference (the 28th edition was held in Hamburg in November 2024 co-hosted with CMS Hasche Sigle, with prior editions in London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Genoa, Valletta, Dublin, Copenhagen, and other European maritime hubs), a Webinar Programme delivered via Microsoft Teams (covering EU competition law, maritime safety, environment, sustainability, trade policy, and specialized topics such as the 2026 Arctic/Greenlandic geopolitical session), and a Conference Library Archive of papers, recordings, and presentation materials dating back to 1992, distributed via YouTube and Dropbox. A Members Resource Library portal provides additional member-only content. The organization has no proprietary technology product; its digital infrastructure is a WordPress website integrated with PayPal for payments, Eventbrite for event registration, Microsoft Teams for webinars, and YouTube/Dropbox for content distribution.

EMLO is funded through annual membership subscriptions (Individual, Corporate, and Academic tiers, renewed each January), event attendance fees (with member priority booking and discounts), and donations accepted via PayPal. It is not VAT registered and discloses no financials. Affiliated National Maritime Law Associations span 14 countries across Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa, and EMLO maintains working relationships with key EU and international bodies including DG Competition, DG MOVE, EMSA, ECSA, IMO, BIMCO, IACS, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, the Federal Maritime Commission, and Comité Maritime International.

Name

European Maritime Law Organisation

Legal name

European Maritime Law Organisation

Website

https://emlo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The European Maritime Law Organisation (EMLO) is a not-for-profit members' association founded in 1991 that provides a neutral forum for debate on EU maritime affairs, serving shipping lawyers, academics, and policy bodies through annual conferences, webinars, and a 30-year archive of conference materials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sway

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual, corporate, and academic members. Subscriptions are due on January 1st each year. Corporate members receive up to four places at the EMLO conference at discounted rates.
2. Event Attendance Fees: Revenue generated from conference and seminar attendance. Members receive priority booking and discounts on all EMLO events.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations through PayPal to support operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EMLO is a not-for-profit members' association that provides a neutral and independent forum for debate and research on EU maritime affairs, running an Annual Conference each autumn, a recurring Webinar Programme of online sessions, and an extensive archive of conference papers and recordings dating back to 1992. Membership is offered in three tiers (Individual, Corporate, Academic) and grants access to events, priority booking, discounts on event tickets, and the Members Resource Library.

Product overview

EMLO is a non-commercial, unincorporated members' association providing a neutral and independent forum for debate and research on EU maritime affairs. The organization operates a membership-based model offering three tiers (Individual, Corporate, and Academic) with benefits including priority booking and discounts on events. The core offering consists of an Annual Conference (held in October/November), a Webinar Programme (regular online sessions on maritime law topics), and an extensive Conference Library Archive with papers and recordings dating back to 1992. Members also have access to a dedicated Resource Library with speeches, interviews, and video content. Events are delivered through integrations with Microsoft Teams, Eventbrite, YouTube, and Dropbox, while membership payments are processed via PayPal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EMLO Membership Annual membership subscription available in three categories (Individual, Corporate, and Academic) that provides access to EMLO conferences, seminars, webinars, conference papers, archive materials, priority booking, discounts on paid events, and entry to the Members Resource Library. Corporate members receive up to four seats at the Annual Conference at discounted rates; the Academic tier is open to university faculty, postgraduate students, and officials of the European Institutions including the Court of Justice and EMSA.
• Annual EMLO Conference In-person annual conference (held typically on the Friday of the third week of October or early November) for shipping lawyers, in-house maritime counsel, academics, and EU policymakers, featuring debates on EU maritime competition law, safety, environment, ports, P&I clubs, and state aid, plus a networking dinner and associated social programme. Historically held in London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Genoa, Valletta (jointly with the Malta Maritime Law Association), Dublin, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Limassol, Gdynia, and Istanbul.
• Webinar Programme Regular online webinars covering EU maritime law topics — including annual retrospectives on EU Commission developments, competition law, sustainability, trade policy, and specialised maritime topics — delivered via Microsoft Teams to registered members and non-members (some sessions such as the 2026 Greenlandic Perspective webinar are free to attend).
• Conference Library Archive Digital archive of conference papers, webinar recordings, and presentation materials dating back to 1992, with video content hosted on the EMLO YouTube channel and downloadable documents distributed via Dropbox, available to members as part of the EMLO offering.
• Members Resource Library Exclusive online portal for EMLO members containing event materials, conference speech notes, interview archives, and a European legal network video library covering two decades of EMLO collaboration and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 consecutive annual conferences held since 1991

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Comité Maritime International (CMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMI is a non-governmental international organization whose object is to contribute by all appropriate means and activities to the unification of maritime law in all its aspects. Both organizations serve the international maritime law community.
• Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FMC is the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system for the benefit of U.S. exporters, importers, and the U.S. consumer.
• DG Maritime Affairs & Fisheries (European Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - one of the key EU policy bodies EMLO has worked with closely, particularly in competition law matters.
• DG Mobility and Transport (European Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectorate-General for Mobility and Transport - has provided strong support to EMLO alongside DG Competition, with many policy announcements made at EMLO Conferences.
• European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECSA represents the interests of European shipowners at EU level. Collaborates with EMLO on events and maritime policy discussions.
• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMSA is the EU agency providing technical and scientific assistance to EU member states and EU institutions for the development of EU maritime safety legislation.
• BIMCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltic and International Maritime Council - leading shipping organization providing standard contracts and clauses widely used in the maritime industry.
• International Association of Classification Societies (IACS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIACS develops rules and standards for ship design, construction and operation to enhance maritime safety and pollution prevention.
• INTERCARGOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Association of Dry Cargo Ship Owners - represents the interests of dry bulk shipping operators.
• INTERTANKOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Association of Independent Tanker Owners - represents independent tanker operators on regulatory and commercial matters.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of maritime pollution by ships.
• Malta Maritime Law AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMLO has held joint conferences with the Malta Maritime Law Association, demonstrating close collaborative relationship in organizing events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BIMCO: The world's largest international shipping association, providing standard contracts, clauses, and industry representation. BIMCO is broader than EMLO in scope (commercial shipping vs legal forum) but overlaps significantly in maritime law content and policymaker engagement, and is listed as an EMLO partner.
• International Bar Association: The world's largest international membership organisation for legal practitioners, with divisions covering maritime and shipping law. Overlaps with EMLO in serving maritime lawyers globally through conferences and committees, but is far broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Association of Average Adjusters: An international professional body for marine average adjusters with a long history of membership governance, publications, and professional standards. Comparable to EMLO as a specialist maritime professional association funded by member subscriptions.
• Comité Maritime International (CMI): The international non-governmental organisation dedicated to the unification of maritime law across all aspects. CMI is the most direct global counterpart to EMLO and is explicitly listed as a mutual partner, sharing the same fundamental mission of convening maritime law practitioners.
• The Nautical Institute: A long-established international professional membership body serving maritime practitioners through events, publications, and professional standards. Like EMLO it operates as a non-profit professional association serving the maritime community through knowledge sharing and networking.
• Lloyd's Maritime Academy: A specialist training and CPD provider focused on maritime law, marine insurance, and shipping. Closely comparable in delivering maritime-law-focused programming to practitioners, though via paid courses rather than membership subscriptions.
• Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers: A professional membership and examining body for the shipping industry, providing qualifications, events, and continuing professional development. Comparable in structure to EMLO as a non-profit professional body funded by member subscriptions and serving shipping practitioners.
• WISTA International: An international professional membership association for women in shipping and trading, running events, awards, and networking. Comparable to EMLO in being a non-profit, member-driven maritime association relying on events and conferences to deliver value.

Regional players

• UK Chamber of Shipping: The principal trade association for the UK shipping industry, representing operators, owners, and managers on regulatory and policy matters. Adjacent to EMLO in convening maritime industry stakeholders and engaging policymakers, though focused on commercial shipping interests rather than legal practice.
• Singapore Academy of Law: A statutory body promoting legal excellence in Singapore, including its Maritime Law Committee and related CPD programming. Comparable to EMLO in serving maritime lawyers through events and knowledge products, but focused on the Singapore/Asian jurisdiction rather than the EU.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emlo_council
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_Q7ikZdU6irgIBvNt0UaiQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/EMLOCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-maritime-law-organisation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Maritime Law Organisation