Algeciras – 1 June 2007.

EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot announced today at the ESPO conference in Algeciras a vision and a series of possible tools for a European port policy which will materialise in October this year. ESPO recommends a mixture of instruments and measures which stimulate good practice, clarify EC Treaty rules and simplify existing legislation.

EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot  concluded this morning in Algeciras the consultation process on a future EU seaport policy, which he initiated at the ESPO conference in Stockholm last year. Since Stockholm, the European Commission has held six thematic workshops which took place in Antwerp, Hamburg, Lisbon, Valencia, Naples and Tallinn, seeking the opinion of industry stakeholders on a wide range of topics.

In his keynote address, Commissioner Barrot emphasised the effect of globalisation and its impact on transportation and congestion in ports and their hinterland: “The possibilities to construct new infrastructure are limited and must be reconciled with environmental concerns. Investing, innovating and simplifying port operations and optimising hinterland connections, but also attracting qualified and well-trained Europeans to work in our ports, will be key to increasing port capacity in response to growing and more sophisticated transport needs.”

The Commissioner then presented a series of tools which could be developed to implement this vision. Mr. Barrot said his services were in particular studying the establishment of environmental guidelines for the application of environmental legislation to port development, State aid guidelines, the extension of the Transparency Directive to all ports, increased transparency of port tariffs and an explanatory document outlining the application of EC Treaty rules on stevedoring and technical-nautical services. Mr. Barrot also stressed the need for dialogue between all stakeholders, especially on social issues, and the need to promote a better image of ports. 

In response, ESPO Chairman Guiliano Gallanti thanked the Commissioner for having organised the port policy consultation: “The consultation exercise which you initiated in Stockholm last year is in my view quite unique. Your services have invested considerable time and energy in engaging in a wide-ranging, open-minded and thought-provocative debate with the sector. This has to my knowledge never happened before and it deserves a lot of credit in itself, despite what some eternal critics may say.”

Drogheda Port, in addition to a number of other Irish ports, Cork, Dublin and Waterford, as well as the IPA, were directly represented at the conference. Drogheda Port Chairman Mr Patrick Traynor in supporting the comprehensive proposals made by ESPO to the Commission warmly welcomed Commissioner Barrots key note address and intention to publish his port policy document later this year. He also commented that it was “essential that the EU now recognize its existing policy imbalance between environmental and sustainable development objectives, especially as it related in practice to ports, and this would hopefully be reflected in the new policy document”.

Further information

Paul Fleming

Chief Executive

041 9838378

www.droghedaport.ie