Europe’s ports begin from a position of strength. Their advantage lies not only in maritime access, but in the combination of port capacity and connections to the European hinterland. Keeping that advantage depends on how quickly Europe can adapt its ports and the corridors serving them.
This was the starting point of the SWOT analysis presented by FEPORT Secretary General Ms Lamia Kerdjoudj at Connecting Europe Days on 29 September. She took part in a panel on accelerating TEN-T delivery and streamlining environmental assessments for strategic transport infrastructure.
Permitting remains a significant obstacle. FEPORT has pointed to difficulties both in the organisation of procedures and in the application of requirements under the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Water Framework Directive. Predictable decisions matter particularly for port projects: public funding alone cannot meet the investment needs, and private operators need sufficient certainty before committing capital.
There is an opportunity to bring several EU initiatives together. FEPORT has called for seaport projects to be included in a revision of the TEN-T Streamlining Directive. The Commission’s proposed regulation on speeding up environmental assessments includes, in Article 14, a framework for projects in strategic sectors. The European Parliament has also proposed linking upgrades of dual-use military mobility corridors to that framework. These measures remain under negotiation; they are not yet applicable rules.
The consequences of slow delivery extend beyond an individual project. Neighboring non EU ports such as compete for services and investment. If mainline calls move elsewhere, European ports risk losing not just cargo volumes, but direct connectivity and influence within global supply chains.
For FEPORT, the priority is to make strategic infrastructure deliverable within a predictable timeframe, while maintaining environmental protection. That will require closer coordination of procedures, investment in port and hinterland links, and a framework that gives private investors the confidence to take part.
