Monday, 30 September 2013 11:06 |
Today, the Transport Committee of the European Parliament will have a first exchange of view on the Commission Proposal for a Port Regulation, which was published on 23 May.
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) acknowledges that the Commission proposal addresses some important conditions for ensuring a level playing field:
But the Commission proposal disappoints, since it partly undermines those principles:
In that overall context, ESPO and its members cannot accept the regulation proposal as it stands.
“We welcome the fact that the Commission is considering European ports as engines for growth. European ports are facing enormous challenges: growing volumes, ever-increasing ships, further globalisation, increasing societal and environmental pressure. They need a policy that empowers them to meet these challenges, not rules that create additional burden for ports without real benefit for the port industry or the users. We hope European policy makers understand our concerns and want to work with us in view of obtaining a framework that means a step forward for every single port in Europe”, says Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO’s Secretary General.
ESPO fears that the Commission proposal in its current form will hamper well performing ports:
Finally, European ports do not see the port regulation as thé instrument that will improve the competitiveness of ports. There are other, more important, factors that can enhance the level playing field in the port sector that need to be tackled: internal market for maritime transport, environmental rules affecting transport patterns and modes, unfair competition with third neighbouring countries, and burdensome customs procedures.
ESPO's full response to the proposed Port Regulation can be found here.
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