A welcomed commitment to competitiveness
European ports hold the pivotal responsibility of driving economic growth while mitigating risks in an increasingly interconnected world. Thus, understanding the dynamics of change and proactively responding to emerging trends are integral components of the enduring resilience of port operators.
European seaports which ensure Europe’s seaborne foreign trade are currently undergoing drastic transformation processes. Developments like digitalisation, energy transition, safety and security obligations require tremendous efforts from all industries located in ports.
These efforts contribute to the well-being of European citizens and to Europe as an international place for business and employment. However, to safeguard the competitiveness, resilience and the sustainability of their operations, Europe’s port operators need policies that strengthen their position, allow them to compete internationally, facilitate the necessary transformation processes and enable them to reach EU Climate targets.
It is reassuring to read in Ms von der Leyen’s political guidelines for the next Commission, as well as in the general EU-level political discourse, that the focus on sustainability is shifting away from adopting new legislation towards implementation. This needed pause is important for many industries as new legislation will have considerable impact on many industries among which those situated in EU ports.
FEPORT also welcomes Ms von der Leyen’s statement regarding the necessity to “put forward a new European action plan against drug trafficking, working with partners to close routes and business models”. Building on the work that is already initiated by the private and public stakeholders’ that are members of the European Ports Alliance is certainly the good way forward.
But as rightly mentioned by the President of the EU Commission, there is a need to support a wider EU Port Strategy focusing on competitiveness and economic independence. To remain competitive, EU ports must adapt and invest among others in energy transition and digitalisation. The needs are enormous (€80 billion for the next 10 years, up to 2034, according to the European Seaport Organization) in a context where European ports are in competition with other industries and with other ports in the world to attract investments.
Therefore, while the strategic nature of European ports as critical infrastructure is recognised, it is important that this specific status does not entail a lack of stability of the legal framework, among others regarding foreign investments.
In an era marked by unpredictable geopolitical landscapes, climate-related disruptions, shifts in trade patterns and fast technological advancements, the resilience of port operators becomes paramount in sustaining the dual use of ports i.e. efficient civil and military operations. It is crucial to secure sustainable EU financial support to the EU port sector which considers the evolution of the dual role of ports when it comes to the investment in infrastructure. We also need anticipation and closer cooperation between civil and military stakeholders to learn from each other and better identify the risks. The EU should not adopt a defensive stance but incorporate resilience into all its policies and planning. The development of guidance on which resilience measures, for instance for transport systems, should be applied when and how must become a priority as it is the best way to remain resilient and competitive.
With respect to competitiveness, FEPORT believes that in the absence of a close monitoring of the impact of EU legislation and meaningful measures of support in favour of EU industries, many companies will lose points of competitiveness vis-à-vis their non-EU counterparts.
In the port sector, private port companies and terminals located in the EU will compete with operators performing operations in non-EU ports which are not concerned by pieces of legislation such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for Maritime. The impact of this Directive on European ports has not been sufficiently assessed and will unfortunately lead to business leakage to the detriment of EU-based private port companies and terminals. The EU should intensify its diplomatic efforts to obtain the adoption of a global scheme comparable to ETS for maritime at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Should this not be possible in the short term, it is crucial that the EU envisages the adjustment of its legislation that harms competitiveness and exposes EU ports to the detrimental effects of carbon leakage both on businesses and employment. The competitiveness of European port stakeholders cannot be put at risk because some shipping lines reorganise their rotations to avoid calling EU ports and paying ETS allowances.
EU competitiveness can also be in danger in the absence of a real level playing field within the internal market. State Aid schemes that grant a competitive advantage to some actors and not to others while both operate in the same market should be prohibited.
Global seaborne trade is of crucial importance to the EU and its Member States. Current EU regulations have not been sufficient to address the battle for global dominance between China and the USA/EU of seaborne trade. This is particularly also true regarding the use of state-of the-art digital tools having anti-competitive features in the maritime sector. There is a serious legal vacuum. In the coming years, EU competition law and trade policy should absolutely keep up with market and technology developments as well as with geopolitical shifts affecting trade and foreign investment policies.
SAVE THE DATE
Eighth Annual Stakeholders' Conference
Dear institutional stakeholders, Dear members, Dear colleagues and friends,
We are pleased to announce the theme of FEPORT Eighth Annual Stakeholders' Conference to be held on November 28th, 2024. We will indeed have interesting exchanges on "How should transport competitiveness be reflected in the next EU roadmap".
The event will take place at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union in Brussels.
The conference program will be released in fall 2024.
We look forward to welcoming you.
FEPORT Team
02.07.2024 – Sectoral Social Dialogue for Ports Committee meeting – Brussels and remote
On July 2nd, 2024, FEPORT, ESPO, ETF, EDC and IDC representatives participated to the Sectoral Social Dialogue for Ports Committee meeting in Brussels and remotely.
On the EU Commission side, besides the Deputy Head of the Port Unit of DG MOVE, Mr Jorgen Bjerre, other representatives from DG CLIMA, Ms Polona Gregorin and Mr Timothee Noel and DG MOVE, Mr John Burke attended the meeting and provided updates on the topics of the monitoring of the impact of ETS on EU ports and the adoption of the maritime safety package.
There are still real concerns both on the employers’ and employees’ side with respect to the risk of carbon leakage as a result of the entry into force of ETS for maritime and all social partners reiterated their call to the EU Commission to proceed to a real monitoring through the use of a reliable methodology encompassing all parameters to be taken into account.
On the topic of safety of port workers on board of ships, while the Directive on the investigation of maritime accidents may contribute to a harmonisation of the procedures of investigation in Member States (ex-post), it does not really address the need to prevent accidents from happening. There is a legal void regarding the safety of port workers on board of ships and we hope that the newly elected MEPs and the EU Commission will have a more receptive ear in the coming years.
02.07.2024 – Commission issues opinion on Italy’s fifth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)
On the 2nd of July, the European Commission endorsed its positive preliminary assessment of 53 targets and milestones connected to Italy’s fifth payment request of EUR 11 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The fifth payment request features 14 reforms and 22 investments in areas such as competition law, public procurement, waste and water management, justice and education.
The milestones attached to the fifth payment request were, in May 2024, increased to 54. However, at this stage, the Commission is not in a position to assess one of the targets related to the reform of Italy’s public procurement framework. As additional clarification of the target is needed, Italy intends to submit a reasoned request to amend it, ensuring that the ambition and policy objectives of the measure is maintained.
The European Commission has sent its positive preliminary assessment of the milestones and targets that it considers Italy has fulfilled to the Economic and Financial Committee, which will have four weeks to deliver its opinion, after which the EUR 11 billion linked to the payment request will be disbursed.
More information on the Italian Recovery and Resilience plans can be found here.
Source: European Commission
05.07.2024 – FEPORT participates to the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum welcome meeting - Remote
On 5th July, 2024, FEPORT participated in the welcome meeting of the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum (DTLF) which was held online. DG MOVE’s representatives highlighted the objectives of the forum and then gave the floor to the coordinators of the three DTLF working groups who reported on past achievements and presented the work program for the five coming years. The EU Commission also announced the acceptance of the first Implementing Act of the eFTI regulation, to be published in approximately two months.
The aim of the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum (DTLF) is to support the digital transformation of the transport and logistics sectors across the European Union. It serves as a collaborative platform that brings together public and private stakeholders to enhance the efficiency and interoperability of electronic information exchange within these sectors.
The next Plenary meeting is scheduled to take place on the 17th of October in Brussels.
15.07.2024 – Resignation of Commissioners Vălean and Sinkevičius - Brussels
Commissioner Vălean (Transport) and Commissioner Sinkevičius (Environment, Oceans and Fisheries) have informed President von der Leyen about their decision to resign from the European Commission, following their election to the European Parliament. Commissioner Vălean’s resignation took effect on the 15th of July, and the resignation of Commissioner Sinkevičius on July the 16th.
President von der Leyen has decided to temporarily assign the responsibilities of Commissioner Sinkevičius to Executive Vice-President Šefčovič, which will take over his tasks in addition to his current portfolio.
The responsibilities of Commissioner Vălean will be temporarily entrusted to Commissioner Hoekstra, along with his current portfolio covering Climate Action.
Source: European Commission
17.07.2024 –Assiterminal presents its strategic report - Rome
On the 17th of July, 2024, Assiterminal, the Italian Association of Seaport Terminals, held its General Assembly in Rome at the headquarters of Unioncamere - Unione italiana delle Camere di commercio, industria, artigianato e agricoltura.
The well attended event was an opportunity to share with high level government representatives the content of Assiterminal’s strategic report and highlight some of the proposals and solutions of the organisation on port issues. The document is also an invitation to all industries of the maritime logistics chain to join efforts and work together to face ongoing and future challenges.
FEPORT Secretary General, Ms Lamia Kerdjoudj was invited to take the floor and present FEPORT priorities for 2024-2029.
Government representatives who reacted to the presentation of Assiterminal report acknowledged the need to provide support to the industry so that it remains competitive.
The General Assembly meeting was also an emotional moment during which the entire maritime community thanked Mr Luca Becce for his dedication and engagement to defend the interests of port operators’.
Congratulations to Mr Tomaso Cognolato for his election as new President of Assisterminal.
Buona pensione signor Becce e grazie mille.
17.07.2024 – European Court of Auditors report on EU industrial policy on renewable hydrogen – Luxembourg
On the 17th of July, 2024, the European Court of Auditors published its special report entitled “The EU’s industrial policy on renewable hydrogen: Legal Framework has been mostly adopted – time for a reality check.
ECA has performed an audit to assess to what extent the European Commission has been effective in creating the right conditions for emerging renewable and low-carbon hydrogen markets.
The report’s overall conclusion is that the Commission has been partially successful in its endeavour to create the right framework conditions for the emerging hydrogen market and hydrogen value chain in the EU.
For example, the report points out that the Commission did not perform robust analyses before setting EU targets for the (domestic) production and imports of renewable hydrogen by 2030 and neither translated the targets on EU level into binding targets for Member States. Based on information currently available from Member States and industry, the EU is unlikely to meet its renewable hydrogen import and production targets by 2030.
ECA also stresses that, whereas the investments needs are immense, sufficient public funding is not available. In addition, industry has to deal with different EU funding programmes which all operate by different rules, making it difficult for industry to choose among the different funding programmes available.
To address the above shortcomings, ECA among others recommends that the Commission:
- Updates its Hydrogen Strategy by end 2025;
- Sets out by mid-2026 an EU roadmap for the development of a hydrogen value chain towards 2030 and beyond, based on an assessment of its updated Hydrogen Strategy and Member States’ national energy and climate plans;
- Obtains reliable funding data from Member States. Based on this data, the Commission should by end-2025 assess the appropriateness of EU funding arrangements;
The report can be accessed here.
Source: European Court of Auditors.
17.07.2024 – EU allocates €7 billion of CEF grants to sustainable, safe and smart transport infrastructure – Brussels
The European Commission has awarded over € 7 billion of grants of grants to projects contributing to smart, sustainable and resilient transport infrastructure along the TEN-T network.
Around 83% of the funding will directly contribute to the EU’s climate objectives, by modernising and improving the EU railway network, inland waterways as well as maritime routes along the TEN-T network.
80% of the allocated funding has been awarded to rail, with a particular focus on cross-border rail connections. Also projects in the inland waterway sector will address cross-border connectivity such as on the Seine-Scheldt basin or on the Danube. Furthermore, around 20 maritime ports will receive support, thereby, for example, enabling them to supply shore-side electricity to ships or contribute to the transport of renewable energy.
Finally, a number of projects will contribute to increasing capacity along the EU-Ukraine solidarity lanes, thereby facilitating imports and exports between Ukraine and the EU.
Source: European Commission
18.07.2024 – President Ursula von der Leyen presents her candidacy for a second mandate – Brussels
On July 18, President of the European Commission Ms. Ursula von der Leyen and candidate for a second mandate presented her political priorities which she seeks to advance under her next mandate.
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen stressed that her focus would be on prosperity and competitiveness, while meeting the Green Deal objectives in a way that supports EU industry and citizens. The EU should stick to the Green Deal targets with “pragmatism, technology-neutrality and innovation”, according to the Commission President. In this context, she vowed to propose a Clean Industrial Deal in the first 100 days of her second mandate, which should direct investments towards infrastructure and industry, especially in energy-intensive sectors. In order to ensure predictability for companies, the 90% emissions reductions target for 2040 will be enshrined in the European Climate Law.
Fighting organised crime is an integral part of Von der Leyen’s political priorities. She will therefore propose to double the staff of Europol to allow the organisation to become a real operational police agency.
In order to boost competitiveness, bureaucracy must be reduced and each Commissioner will therefore be requested to assess bureaucratic reductions within his/her own portfolio. A Vice-President will be appointed to coordinate this work and to report on progress to the European Parliament on an annual basis. Another measure in this vein will be the proposal for a “European Competitiveness Fund” which will in particular aim at supporting common, cross-border projects as it should be ensured that the future of technology is made in Europe.
Von der Leyen’s full speech can be accessed here.
18.07.2024 – “Europe’s Choice” Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission – Brussels
On the 18th of July, Ms. Ursula Von der Leyen, Candidate for the European Commission Presidency, published the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission mandate (2024-2029) entitled “Europe’s choice”.
The Guidelines stress the need for a New European Prosperity Plan that will aim at facilitating business and deepening the Single Market, while building a Clean Industrial Deal and tackling labour and skills’ shortages.
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen agrees to the need of a new approach to competition policy, underlining that the EU will ensure that “competition policy keeps pace with evolving global markets and prevents market concentration from raising prices or lowering the quality of goods or services for consumers.”
To make business easier and faster, each individual will be responsible for reducing administrative burdens and simplifying implementation. There will be a dedicated Vice-President for Implementation, Simplification and Interinstitutional relations and proposals can be expected to simplify, consolidate and codify legislation to eliminate overlaps and contradictions while maintaining high standards. Addressing the current patchwork of national regulations will also be a priority, as this hampers companies performing activities in different EU countries. A new SME and competitiveness check will be introduced to ensure that also future legislation meets the standards of regulatory simplification while preventing unnecessary administrative burdens.
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen will propose a new Clean Industrial Deal in the first 100 days of her mandate. The Commission will propose to enshrine the EU 2040 targets in an updated European Climate law, whereas industries and companies will be supported through the transition by an Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act. Another initiative aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of the EU economy will be a proposal for the activation and extension of the EU aggregate demand mechanism that should go beyond gas only and include hydrogen and critical raw materials. Finally, the EU will step up its green diplomacy and increasingly engage with third countries on the external aspects of EU climate policy. Apart from focussing on climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation will also be a cornerstone of the next Commission’s political priorities through a European Climate Adaptation Plan.
The Guidelines recognise that European competitiveness is held back by an insufficient diffusion of digital technologies. The Commission will therefore focus on the implementation and enforcement of the digital laws that were adopted during the last term of the Commission (2019-2024). Particular attention will be paid to addressing the challenges related to e-commerce platforms in order to ensure that consumers and business benefit from a level playing field based on the same customs, tax, safety, control and sustainability standards. To accelerate new industrial uses of AI, the Commission will strive to develop an Apply AI Strategy together with Member States, industry and civil society. To this same end, the Commission will also propose the establishment of a European AI Research Council which will allow the pooling of resources in a way similar to CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research). The expected European Data Union Strategy is expected to support the development of AI and other cutting-edge technologies, while boosting European companies access to data.
Under the heading “Turbo charging investment”, Ms. Ursula Von der Leyen discloses that she will propose a revision of the Public Procurement Directive which will enable authorities to give preference to European products in public procurement in certain strategic sectors with the aim of safeguarding EU added value as well as security of supply of vital technologies, products and services. In terms of investment, the Commission’s first priority will be to ensure the use of resources available via NextGenEU and the current budget. However, a European Competitiveness Fund, focussing among others on IPCEIs[1], will be part of the Commission proposal for the next multiannual financial framework which should contain a new and reinforced budget.
The new Commission will work towards establishing a Union of Skills. Focus in the area of skills and labour shortages will be on improving education in the science, technology, engineering and maths’ (STEM) fields while giving more prominence to vocational education and training (VET). To that end, the Commission will put forward a STEM Education Strategic Plan and a European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training with the aim of increasing the number of people with a secondary VET degree. To strengthen social dialogue, the Commission aims to deliver on a new Pact for European Social Dialogue in early 2025, together with European employers and trade unions.
Under the new mandate, the Commission will double down on its efforts to fight organised crime which will be targeted in a new European Internal Security Strategy. Europol should become a truly operational police agency as its staff will double over time. Countering drug trafficking will be the centrepiece of the EU’s efforts to make Europe more safe and secure. A new European action plan against drug trafficking will be put forward which should support a wider EU Port Strategy focusing on security, competitiveness and economic interdependence, while building on the ongoing work of the European Ports Alliance.
Infrastructure is a cornerstone of the EU’s foreign economic policy, as the Guidelines vow to take the Global Gateway to the next level. The Guidelines reiterate the EU’s approach to “systemic rivals” which departs from the principle of ‘de-risking not decoupling’.
The Political Guidelines can be accessed here
[1] The first new set of common projects will be proposed in early 2025.
19.07.2024 – European Commission disburses fifth Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) payment to Croatia - Brussels
On the 19th of July, the European Commission distributed EUR 821.7 million to Croatia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) of which EUR 555.7 consisted of grants while EUR 266 million was paid out in loans.
Croatia submitted the request for this fifth payment on April 15, 2024, which included several reforms and investments in the areas of digitalisation, mobility, water and wastewater management, clean transport, and tourism.
More information on Croatia’s project under the Recovery and Resilience Facility can be found here.
24.07.2024 – Business Europe Position paper on priorities for transport sector beyond 2024 – Brussels
On the 24th of July, BusinessEurope presented a position paper setting out its priorities for transport policy in the 2024-2029 legislative cycle. Business Europe’s main recommendations include:
- Guarantee a level playing field with third-country competitors, remove all barriers to cross-border EU transport and logistics services and promote multimodality and interoperability between the different transport modes, while ensuring fair competition.
- Ensure adequate funding for European infrastructure projects for all modes and a timely completion of the trans-European transport network, and strengthen infrastructure serving multimodal, innovative, and sustainable transport solutions.
- Create the right enabling conditions for the decarbonisation of all modes of transport and support technology neutrality in the green transition of the sector
- Ensure adequate cybersecurity of the transport and logistics sector, fully unlock the potential of mobility data from all transport modes and multimodal transport and support the development and deployment of ICT systems and digital infrastructure.
The position includes a number of recommendations specific to each transport mode, as well as recommendations that aim at the improvement of the functioning of the EU transport sector at large.
BusinessEurope calls on policy makers to continue to focus on creating a global level playing field in the aviation and maritime sector, while stressing that the appropriateness of the proposal to tax maritime and aviation fuels in the Energy Taxation Directive should be reconsidered. Both for maritime and aviation, the paper stresses that policy makers should aim at preventing a reconfiguration of traffic flows at the expense of EU hubs as this will lead to a reduction of competitiveness as well as connectivity.
Still focusing on horizontal priorities, a plea is made for the further opening of transport markets, including through the liberalisation of freight transport across the EU. In addition, the paper underlines the importance of adequate investments in infrastructure such as through the renewal and increase of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and a timely completion of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T).
In addition, the strengthening of infrastructure, efficiency, availability and accessibility of multimodal freight terminals, while upgrading and optimising existing facilities, is highlighted, as multimodal freight terminals are essential in allowing for multimodal transport solutions and serve as nodes connecting maritime, rail, road and inland waterway transport. Finally, across all modes, adequate financing and deployment of the necessary alternative fuel infrastructure is needed in order to meet the objectives of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) while supporting wider EU decarbonisation targets.
The paper’s section on road transport strongly focusses on the facilitation of the cross-border provision of road transport services, while making a number of recommendations aimed at skills gaps and shortages.
Concerning rail, BusinessEurope calls attention to the need for adequate funding and efficient governance to support a harmonised deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). Furthermore, a number of recommendations aim at achieving efficient and flexible rail infrastructure capacity management.
In the dedicated section on maritime, inland waterways and ports, attention is called to the specific position of transhipment ports, stressing that the implementation of EU ETS should be supervised and monitored, not only to safeguard the competitive position of these ports, but also because the European manufacturing industry depends on imports and exports enabled by the maritime sector.
Business Europe recognises the role of ports as strategic assets for Europe that promote sustainable economic growth, increase the resilience of the economy and contribute to the energy transition and decarbonisation of transport. A European Port Strategy is therefore needed with a particular focus on strengthening international competitiveness, while promoting both critical port infrastructure and competitive private port companies. Both are highly important for European competitiveness but have different needs. A Future Port Strategy should therefore clearly distinguish between both.
Business Europe’s position paper can be accessed here.
24.07.2024 – Italy expected to present hydrogen corridor project in autumn – Rome
Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin announced that Italy will host an event in autumn to present a hydrogen transport network that should connect the southern Mediterranean to northern Europe.
The SoutH2 Corridor project will connect North Africa, Italy, Austria and Germany and is led by a number of gas grid operators (TSOs) -Snam (Italy), TAG (Austria), CGA (Austria) and bayernets (Germany) – which in December 2022 each submitted on an individual basis Project of Common Interest (PCI) applications under the TEN-E regulation. The corridor, which could be operational in 2030, will have a hydrogen import capacity from North Africa of 4 million tonnes per annum, meaning it could deliver on 40% of the EU’s hydrogen import target which is set at 10 million tonnes per annum by 2030.
According to the Italian minister of the Environment and Energy Security, several options exist as to how to achieve this, explaining that one option is to use pipeline connections already in place with Libya and Tunisa while another option would be to convert green fuel into ammonia and transport it to Europe by ship.
Source: Euractiv, South2corridor.net
25.07.2024 – Commission receives fourth payment request from Belgium under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) - Brussels
On the 25th of July, the European Commission received the second payment request for EUR 909 million from Belgium under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). This second payment request is made up of EUR 869 million of subsidies and EUR 40 million worth of loans, covering 38 milestones and 9 targets.
The request covers reforms in the areas of energy transition, digital connectivity, zero-emission road transport, life-long learning, the streamlining of environmental permitting procedures, innovation and circular economy.
Belgium’s request also features investments in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, energy transition, hydrogen and low carbon industries, rail infrastructure, zero-emission road transport, education and research and development.
Belgium’s overall recovery and resilience plan will be financed through EUR 5.3 billion of which 5 billion euros of subsidies and 264 million of loans. More information on Belgium’s recovery and resilience plan can be found here.
Source: European Commission
26.07.2024 – Commission disburses fourth Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) payment to Spain
On the 26th of July, the Commission disbursed the fourth payment for EUR 9.9 billion in grants, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to Spain.
Spain submitted the fourth payment request under the RRF of EUR 10 billion to the European Commission, which covered 44 milestones and 17 targets covering investments and reforms in, among others, the green and digital transition, RD&I as well as education and vocational training.
The Commission concluded from a preliminary assessment of the payment request endorsed on 12 June 2024, that Spain had met all but one target. It was therefore decided to disburse EUR 9.9 billion out of the EUR 10 billion originally requested.
Spain’s outstanding target relates to business digitalisation, on which Spain, as recognised by the European Commission, has already taken the first steps. Spain will have six months to fulfill this target, upon which the remaining sum of the fourth payment request will be disbursed.
Spain will in total receive EUR 163 billion from the RRF, of which EUR 80 billion in grants and EUR 83 billion in loans. More information on Spain’s recovery and resilience plan can be found here.
Source: European Commission
28.07.2024 – Turkish Parliament approves plan for emissions trading system for shipping
The Turkish Parliament has adopted amendments to its port laws, requiring Türkiye to start taxing CO2 emissions from shipping. The law targets emissions from commercial ships entering and departing from Turkish seaports.
The Turkish presidency is now expected to introduce regulations stipulating which ships will be covered, the rates of the emission fees as well as the procedures for monitoring, reporting and verification.
The law has been adopted in a context of rising container transhipment traffic in Turkish ports, with a 54 percent year-on-year increase being reported towards 1.2 million TEU. 340,000 TEU – i.e. 28% - of this traffic is destined to EU countries.
Source: Maritime Executive
Member’s Corner
18.07.2024 - Barcelona Port launches first onshore power supply system at Hutchison BEST container terminal
On the 18th of July, the first Onshore Power Supply (OPS) system has been launched at the Hutchison BEST container terminal in the Port of Barcelona. The OPS system is the first of its kind to be deployed at a container terminal in a Mediterranean port and will enable ships to be supplied with 100 per cent renewable energy, thus allowing ships to turn off their engines while at berth and reduce emissions.
According to the Port of Barcelona, this is a pilot project which, once fully operational, should help customers of the port to become more sustainable and reduce emissions.
Source: Port Technology
31.07.2024 – Port of Koper opens public procurement for container terminal expansion
The Port of Koper has initiated a public procurement process for the northern extension of pier I.
The investment worth EUR 100 million will finance the construction of 326 metres of quayside, 7 hectares of stacking and handling areas, as well as the required dredging and supporting power infrastructure.
The construction is anticipated to start early 2025 and should be completed by the end of 2027. Aside from the construction, STS cranes will also be installed along with the redevelopment of existing storage areas, in order to increase the annual handling capacity of the container terminal from 1.5 to 1.75 million TEU.
The public procurement remains open for bidding until September 30th.
Source: World Cargo News
FEPORT meetings
02.07.2024 Sectoral Social Dialogue for Ports Committee – Brussels
09.09.2024 Customs and Logistics Committee - Brussels
10.09.2024 Environment, Safety and Security Committee - Brussels
17.09.2024 Port Policy Committee – Brussels
19.09.2024 Board of Directors - Brussels
17.10.2024 Social Affairs Committee – Brussels
27.11.2024 General Assembly Meeting – Brussels
28.11.2024 FEPORT Eighth Annual Stakeholders’ Conference – Brussels
Events supported by FEPORT
FEPORT Newsletter - July/August 2024