ESPO News 17.01 - 31/01/2011

ESPO Conference to Review Port Performance and Port Policy

ESPO will be holding its 8th annual conference in Limassol on 5 and 6 May this year, in partnership with the Cyprus Ports Authority.

This year’s ESPO Conference features a ‘double bill’. It will address both practice and policy by combining the theme of port performance with a review of the current EU policy framework for ports.

Port performance is a concept that covers many layers. It can relate to operations and logistics, market trends and structure, environment and societal integration, socio-economic impact and governance. ESPO is currently coordinating the EC co-funded project ‘PPRISM’ (Port PerfoRmance Indicators – Selection and Measurement). The project partners will present the interim results at the conference and outline the development of a European ‘dashboard’ on port performance.

The second theme follows from the intention of the European Commission to evaluate in 2011 the ports policy framework that was established a few years. The review will be a fundamental one and cover infrastructure development and financing, concessions, market access to port services, modernisation, port labour and several other topics. Conference participants will have the opportunity to exchange views with Commission officials in charge of the review on the effectiveness of the current ‘soft law’ approach and its way forward.

Other highlights of the programme:

• Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Minister of Communication and Works of Cyprus and Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport will give the keynote speeches.
• MEP Dirk Sterckx will discuss with senior port authority executives how EU policy can stimulate effective and efficient governance of European ports.
• Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue of Hofstra University New York and Dr. Theo Notteboom of ITMMA will review with industry leaders the economic outlook for ports and shipping in the post-recession period;
• Walter Van Mechelen, Chairman Alfaport Antwerp, Dan Clague, Managing Director Hawkpoint and Dr. Enrico Musso, Member of the Italian Parliament, will compare logistics, financial and societal perspectives on port performance.
• Image consultant Stef Verbeeck will advise how well-performing ports should be ‘branded’.
• Luc T’Joen, Principal Auditor with the European Court of Auditors, has been invited to take a critical look at EU funding of seaport projects.

Preceding the actual conference programme, a special interest seminar will be held on port development in the East Mediterranean, chaired by Dr. Thanos Pallis of the University of the Aegean.

Registration can be done online via the conference website where the full programme and all practical information can be found as well.

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