European Seaport Policy

ITMMA Antwerp, 18 November 2013Patrick Verhoeven

Summary1. Historical evolution2. Port Regulation 20133. Other initiatives4. Concluding remarks

1. Historical evolution

Jacques Delors (President European Commission 1985-1995)First Transport White Paper (1992)Road to Sea policyTrans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T)

Neil Kinnock (Transport Commissioner 1995-1999)Green Paper on Seaports and Maritime Infrastructure (1997)Basic elements Ports Policy:– Market access port services– Port financing– Infrastructure development

Loyola de Palacio (Transport Commissioner 1999-2004)Port Package I (2001):– Port services Directive– Rejected 2003

Port Package II (2004):– New port services Directive– Withdrawn 2006

Second Transport Policy White Paper (2001)Ports in TEN-T (2001)

Jacques Barrot (Transport Commissioner 2004-2009)Ports Policy Communication (2007)Reconciliation through ‘soft law’ approach

Siim Kallas (Transport Commissioner 2009-2014)Ports Regulation proposal (2013)Third Transport Policy White Paper (2011)Full integration ports in TEN-T (2013)

2. Port Regulation 2013

Basic elements1. Market access port services2. Financial transparency and autonomy3. Consultation and supervision

1) Market accessTreaty principle freedom to provide servicesMinimum quality requirementsLimitation of number of service providersPublic service obligationsInternal operatorGuarantees for workers (transfer of undertakings)Cargo handling and passenger services are exempted from these rules

2) Financial transparency en autonomy

Transparency of financial relations between government and port authority that receives public means / offers port servicesPricing internal operatorPricing use of public infrastructure (port dues)Financial autonomy port authority

3) Consultation and supervision

Consultation of port usersConsultation of other stakeholdersIndependent supervisory bodyCooperation between supervisory bodies

Political process

+ = ?

3. Other initiatives

Concessions directive

Social dialogue

EU study port labour

Pilotage Exemption Certificates

Pending cases

Land lease policy Port of Klaipéda Dock labour pools Spanish ports

Influence ‘Troika’

4. Concluding remarks

New proposal EU Port Regulation is not radical nor very interventionist – it supports role port authorityResistance largely based on what happened in the past (port packages)Political process seems to lead to an ‘empty box’Will there be a ‘gouvernement des juges’ instead?Clear legal framework is in the interest of customers, service providers and port authoritiesProblems do not disappear by avoiding them

Patrick Verhoeven – Secretary GeneralEuropean Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)Rue Ducale, Hertogstraat 67/2 – B-1000 Brussels+ 32 2 510 61 26 – patrick.verhoeven@ecsa.eu – www.ecsa.eu

Follow me on Twitter @PVerhoevenECSA

27