The last meeting of the ESPO Executive Committee before the summer break is traditionally held outside Brussels. This year, the meeting took place in the Latvian capital port city Riga, on 5 June. The fantastic hospitality of the Freeport of Riga Authority ensured a very productive outcome.

The Executive Committee endorsed the draft of the new ESPO ‘Green Guide’, which will succeed the ESPO Environmental Code of Practice. The Code of Practice (1994) was the first official policy document that was ever published by ESPO. It was updated in 2003 and the Green Guide will be the third publication in which the sector defines its environmental ambitions.  The main aim of the Guide is to incite port authorities to be pro-active and commit to sustainable development and the continuous improvement of their environmental performance. The Guide does not want to be merely a promotional tool of the sector’s efforts and the evidence-based progress that has been achieved over time. Aim is to encourage ESPO members to further evaluate and improve their environmental performance. Overall, the Guide will favour a bottom-up approach, in which port authorities are pro-actively taking responsibility and meeting the expectations of the community. The Guide will be finalised over summer for presentation at the forthcoming GreenPort Congress, which will take place in Marseilles on 3-5 October.

ExCo members further discussed progress on the European Commission’s ports policy review, the horizontal concessions Directive, the TEN-T proposals, the sulphur Directive and port security. They also agreed on the first programme outline of the ESPO 2013 Conference, which will be held in Varna on 30 and 31 May next year. 

The idea that the European Commission would proceed with a regional CO2 strategy, introducing a market-based measure to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping is certainly not a new one. There are now indications that, in parallel, the Commission is considering to get like-minded developed countries to set up a network of Carbon Emission Control areas, or  ‘CECAs’.

Under scenarios laid out in informal discussion papers being circulated around several governments, CO2 control areas are being discussed at inter-governmental level as part of a series of contingency plans, if international climate change talks would fail to secure a viable agreement. These CECAs could potentially be agreed outside the International Maritime Organisation by a coalition of willing governments. The Commission would allegedly be asking Member States to consider circumventing IMO to introduce a series of external multilateral agreements. This would in turn put pressure on those IMO states that are blocking a compromise to reach an international agreement. Commission officials stated that the contingency plans are at a very early stage and are only being discussed informally at the moment; there is no indication that the plans would be successful.

As far as the actual regional measures are concerned, an impact assessment is being undertaken and the Commission is expected to formulate its proposals by the end of 2012. During an inter-service meeting that took place last week, the first results of the impact assessment were presented. Those seem to conclude that the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the different regional measures that are being assessed do not significantly differ and that the main challenge to be addressed is the political one. The results will be transmitted to the impact assessment board by September, while DG CLIMA will have to take the political decision on how to further proceed in autumn. In parallel, DG CLIMA recently published  a call for tenders on maritime transport greenhouse gas data collection and management. The objective of this study is to provide support to the Commission services during the preparation of a proposal for a monitoring, reporting and verification system for GHG emissions from individual ships. The outcome of the study will assist any future proposal on regional measures, given that a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system will in any case be required.

In April, ESPO forwarded its contribution to the EC consultation on potential regional action. ESPO believes that only a global solution through IMO can really and effectively address the contribution of shipping to global warming. It is counter-productive to tackle the impact of a global industry to a global environmental issue on a regional basis.

Mid-May, Council and Parliament reached a compromise agreement on the Commission’s proposal for the revision of the Directive on sulphur content of marine fuels. The agreement has been endorsed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives and is now subject to legal and linguistic review. Parliament is expected to formally adopt the agreement at its plenary session in September.

The compromise is in line with Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention and sets the limits for the sulphur content of marine fuels used in designated Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs) to 1% until 31 December 2014 and 0.1% as from 1 January 2015. However, the IMO standard of 0.5 % for sulphur limits outside SECAs will be mandatory in EU waters by 2020. The possibility to postpone it until 2025, which is foreseen in MARPOL, will not apply in Europe. This also covers passenger ships operating outside SECAs to which the current regime of 1,5 % applies until that date. According to the compromise, Member States should endeavour to ensure the availability of the required marine fuels.

The agreement recognises that the costs of new requirements to reduce sulphur emissions could have negative effects on the competitiveness of the industry and could produce a modal shift from sea to land. It therefore leaves room for Member States to provide support to operators, if such aid measures are deemed to be compatible with the Treaty. Furthermore, the Commission is instructed to make full use of financial instruments that are already in place and promote the development and testing of alternative technologies to reduce emissions from ships.

Commenting on the agreement, ESPO underlines the urgent need to have effective supporting measures in place that would assist the industry to comply with the new standards starting in SECAs by 2015. The measures currently identified in the ‘sustainable waterborne transport toolbox’ are for instance not enough to meet the operational challenges associated with scrubbers and LNG within the pressing timetables.

A vote in the US Committee on Homeland Security on 6 June caused some confusion about the implementation of a measure whereby all seaborne containers entering the United States would have to be scanned overseas before being allowed into US ports. The controversial requirement was laid down in the SAFE Port Act, which was passed in 2006. Shippers had tried last Wednesday to convince members of Congress to remove the requirement from the new SMART Port Security Act, which is the reauthorisation of the original 2006 Act. They however failed to do so. This is no doubt due to the sensitive nature of homeland security, especially in the current election year.

In theory, the 100% scanning requirement is set to take effect as of 1 July this year. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (photo) however formally notified Congress that she will make use of her authority to delay implementation of the scanning requirement for two years and renew the waiver in additional two-year increments if certain conditions apply. This means that the measure will not come into effect before July 2014. The Department of Homeland Security shares the view of the shipping sector that the 100% scanning goal is impractical and will have a significant and negative impact on trade capacity and the flow of cargo. Moreover, many overseas ports lack physical space and facilities to accommodate the necessary inspection stations.

ESPO very much welcomes the decision to delay the implementation, even if a full removal would still be better. Back in 2006, ESPO joined an industry alliance pointing at the impracticalities of the measure, a message which was also strongly supported by the European Commission.

ESPO and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) recently stepped up their cooperation. On the occasion of the IAPH mid-term conference, which was held in Jerusalem on 22 May, the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding which aims to reinforce the work they undertake on behalf of the community of port authorities, at global and European level.

“There are quite a few areas where that cooperation will be most beneficial”, said ESPO Chairman Victor Schoenmakers, “I am especially thinking of topics like ship emissions, marine pollution, maritime safety and security. These are fields where international and European rules interrelate and where the European Union often has the tendency to run ahead or go beyond what is agreed in international settings. By cooperating more efficiently, we can better anticipate these developments and attune our voices in London and Brussels.”

“Next to reinforcing the voice of the port sector on the regulatory front, there is also a lot we can do to in terms of exchanging know-how”, added Mr. Schoenmakers, “Port governance, port performance, environmental management and societal integration are for instance issues where ESPO is playing quite a pro-active role and we would be very interested in sharing experiences on those with ports in other parts of the world.”

More information on IAPH is available from the organisation’s website.

Photo: IAPH Secretary General Susume Naruse, IAPH President Geraldine Knatz, ESPO Chairman Victor Schoenmakers, ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven

At the Transport Council of 7 June, Member States agreed on a partial general approach for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the future funding instrument for the Trans-European Networks (TEN) in the fields of transport, energy and telecommunications. 

The main outstanding issue under discussion was the request from several Member States to extend the possibilities of financing road projects by means of grants. According to the agreement reached last week, this will be possible for Member States eligible for support from the Cohesion Fund, those without a rail network or with an isolated rail network and those without long-distance rail freight transport. The compromise text also gives the possibility to co-finance road works at cross-border sections in all Member States at a rate up to 10%. 

ESPO especially welcomes the increase of the co-financing rate for the development of Motorways of the Seas from 20% to 30% and the decision to add the interconnection of maritime ports as an indicator for achieving the objective of enhanced interconnection and interoperability.

The Council agreement further modifies the list of core network corridors set out in annex to the CEF regulation to accommodate particular requests from Member States, mainly through the addition of rail or road sections and ports.

The actual budget to be made available for the Trans-European Networks under the CEF will depend on the results of the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). It is therefore not yet included in the partial general approach reached last week.  The Commission has proposed 50 billion Euro for the years 2014 to 2020, with 31.7 billion Euro allocated to the transport sector. This includes 10 billion Euro earmarked in the Cohesion Fund. Discussions on the budget are now taking place in the General Affairs Council (see next article). Final decisions on the CEF budget will however be taken by the Heads of State, at the European Council of October.

On 29 May, the General Affairs Council gathered to further develop the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2014-2020. The discussions between ministers were held on the basis of a document, known as the negotiating box, containing the central issues and options as regards both expenditure and revenue.

The negotiating box, drafted by the Danish Presidency, is based on the orientation debates held since July 2011 and will be continually updated. The leaders of the 27 Member States will discuss the negotiating box at the meeting of the European Council on 28 and 29 June.

Ministers welcomed the draft which, for the first time, covers all elements of the MFF, as a good basis for further discussion. While there was general agreement that the MFF is to be a major tool for boosting growth and jobs in the EU, details still need to be worked out. During the informal Council meeting, which will be held on 10 and 11 June in Horsens (DK), ministers will prepare the June European Council and will reflect on how the MFF can contribute at enhancing growth, employment and competitiveness. The objective is to reach an agreement before the end of this year.

Photo: Nicolai Wammen, Danish minister for European Affairs

On 30 May, the Parliament's Budget Committee approved an EU allocation of 230 million Euro in guarantees to back the private issuance of project bonds for transport, energy and information technology infrastructure projects. The vote endorsed a political deal concluded by MEPs and EU governments in negotiations in Strasbourg the week before.

The decision allows pilot testing of this innovative plan to attract private investment in transport, energy and information technology network projects. 200 million Euro will be set aside to guarantee investments in transport networks, 20 million Euro for ICT networks and 10 million Euro for energy connection. The scheme will be managed by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Guarantees backing project bond-issuing companies should make the bonds safer and more attractive to capital market investors, such as pension and investment funds. With an expected multiplier ratio of between 15 and 20, these guarantees could mobilise up to 4.6 billion Euro in private investment. For the period 2010-2020, investment needs for transport, energy and ICT infrastructure projects in Europe are estimated at 1.5 trillion Euro.

Project bonds will be introduced in 2012 and 2013 to pave the way for possible wider use under the Connecting Europe Facility at the start of the EU's new Multiannual Financial Framework. The idea is to test how the financial markets perceive them and to use the practical experience of the coming 18 months to fine-tune the initiative.

Parliament will vote on the allocation decision during its plenary session in July.

ESPO participated in the stakeholder meeting on the revision of the TEN-T guidelines, which co-rapporteurs Georgios Koumoutsakos and Ismail Ertug organised on 14 May at the European Parliament. The meeting was held to hear the views of road, rail, inland waterway, maritime and air transport sectors. In his statement, ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven underlined the need to develop a transparent methodology to assess EU added value of project of common interest, in terms of transport efficiency, sustainability and territorial cohesion. Furthermore, he emphasised that seaports in both core and comprehensive networks should have adequate hinterland connections. However, ESPO believes that, just as with inland waterway connections, rail connections should only be developed where these make sense. ESPO also pleads for a better integration of transport and environmental objectives into the TEN-T guidelines, so that this will lead to more efficient planning and consent procedures. Finally, Patrick Verhoeven said that TEN-T guidelines should ensure that the implementation of the core network corridors adapts to evolving traffic demand and market needs.

MEPs Koumoutsakos and Ertug are expected to deliver their report on the TEN-T guidelines by 10 July. Following translations, it will be presented to the TRAN Committee in September.  Parliament also prepares a report on the Connecting Europe Facility proposal. Co-rapporteurs here are Dominique Riquet and Inès Ayala Sender. They expect their draft report to be ready for translation  by 15 June, so that it can already be presented in the TRAN meeting of 9-10 July.

ESPO and seven other European transport and passenger organisations signed a letter initiated by the European Disability Forum to call on Council and Parliament to uphold article 43 in the guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network. This article concerns the accessibility of transport infrastructure for all users. With this initiative the signatories hope that the recognition of the relevance of funding opportunities for projects enhancing transport accessibility will be kept, if not strengthened, in the future TEN-T.

The Commission’s original proposal reflects the commitment of the European Union to ensure that transport infrastructure allows seamless mobility and accessibility for all users, in particular elderly people, persons of reduced mobility and disabled passengers. However, in its general approach agreement on the TEN-T Guidelines, the Council has proposed to remove article 43.

The signatories of the open letter evoke that such a decision would undermine the impact of the TEN-T on economic growth and social inclusion and would be contradict the vision of the Transport White Paper to go towards a single European Transport Area that facilitates seamless mobility and accessibility for all transport users. The signatories also believe that, in view of Europe’s demographic challenge, it is of crucial importance to ensure that transport services adapt to the needs of the  rapidly ageing population, in order to support longer working lives and independent living in old age, and thus reduce the impact of ageing on public budgets.

At the Transport Council of 7 June, ministers debated the Blue Belt project, which was initiated in 2011 to promote intra-EU maritime transport. The purpose of the debate was to provide guidance on possible follow-up measures. The Blue Belt pilot project, implemented by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), used the EU maritime information exchange system SafeSeaNet for the transmission of data on vessel traffic to customs authorities. A project evaluation report is available on EMSA's website .

Ministers generally supported the integration of Blue Belt services into a permanent legal framework, but underlined that costs and benefits should be evaluated before carrying out legislative work. The importance of more flexible customs procedures and the need to review EU customs legislation accordingly was also highlighted. In line with ESPO’s evaluation of the pilot impact, several Member States stressed that awareness of the Blue Belt concept should be raised through appropriate information. Ministers also agreed that single window services would enhance coordination and harmonisation. The current single window rules, which are due to be applied from mid-2015, are the starting point.

ESPO supports the continuation of the Blue Belt service, which is in the interest of all European ports, and recommends further involvement from local customs administrations, port authorities and port companies. It is only through further simplification of customs procedures in connection with the movement of community goods between EU ports that a level playing field with other modes of transport will be achieved. The ESPO Intermodal and Logistics Committee is currently preparing a policy paper which will identify the main customs-related concerns in ports and provide a number of policy recommendations. The paper will also illustrate the need for harmonisation of customs practices in EU ports.

The European Commission is in the process of revising its policy for inland waterway transport. The current policy is laid down in the so-called NAIADES programme, which was established in 2006, named after the mythological freshwater nymphs. By next year, a NAIADES II programme should be devised. In preparation, the Commission has now published a staff working paper, in which it presents concrete actions under preparation as well as some future initiatives.

Concretely, the working paper identifies five areas where possible measures could be taken: guidance on integration of inland waterways and ports in TEN-T infrastructure, fleet modernisation including emission reduction, jobs and skills, information exchange and market incentives.

The latter includes a remarkable call upon seaports to pay more attention to the role of inland waterway transport.  The paper claims that seaport dues, terminal-related transhipment costs and pre-post haulage contribute much more to the total cost of the inland waterway-based multi-modal chains than in the case of short sea shipping or rail based multi-modal chains where goods are often carried over longer distances. As a consequence, the capacity, availability and quality of inland port services is said to play a determining role in the uptake of inland navigation by shippers and freight forwarders. “We would very much like to see the evidence on which the Commission’s conclusion is based”, said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, “Several of our members undertake considerable efforts to stimulate the use of inland waterway transport, so this statement would appear to need some nuance at least.”

The Commission said that it also intends to assess the strengths and weaknesses of inland ports, as part of its ongoing ports policy review. The staff working document further mentions the complex institutional landscape that governs European barge transport, arguing for a clearer division of tasks between the various bodies involved. Finally, the Commission announces  a consultation process on the use of infrastructure charging for inland waterway transport.

The Commission will hold a stakeholder consultation meeting on 25 June to which ESPO will participate.

Picture: Hylas and the Nymphs – John William Waterhouse (1896) – Manchester Art Gallery

On 30 May, members of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) of the European Parliament considered the amendments on the recast of the Single European Railway Area. Rapporteur Serrachiani (S&D, Italy) gave an overview of the suggested amendments and the points that are still under discussion with the Council. The Rapporteur also highlighted the fact that negotiations with Council have led to compromises on crucial points. Among these points, she mentioned the compromise on stable financing of the infrastructure manager, the agreement on the time for the opening of the international market and the appointment of an independent regulator. As regards the national passenger market, Ms Serrachiani stated that the Commission is expected to come forward with legislative proposals.

The next day, the amendments were voted. Ms. Serrachiani’s report was approved by a large majority of MEPs: 35 votes in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention. The broad support will enable the Rapporteur to continue negotiations with Council, in view of a plenary vote in July.

The Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) will organise on 28 June the annual Marco Polo Info Day. It will be held at the Charlemagne Building in Brussels. The event will provide prospective applicants with the latest news and background on the Marco Polo programme, which they will be able to use in the preparation of their proposal. Furthermore, participants will be able to ask questions, exchange views and share expertise with the Marco Polo team of the EACI.

In 2012, the Marco Polo programme supports five distinct types of action: “modal shift actions”, “catalyst actions”, “motorways of the sea actions”, “traffic avoidance actions” and “common learning actions”. The sixth call for proposals for the creation and upgrade of freight transport services under the second Marco Polo programme is planned to be published soon.

More information about the Marco Polo Info Day can be found here.

On 21-22 May, the European Maritime Day conference took place in Gothenburg. This year’s theme was "Sustainable Growth from Oceans, Seas and Coasts: Blue Growth". Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki attended the conference and was joined by Swedish ministers and other European personalities. The event attracted over a thousand delegates who participated in a wide range of workshops which were organised by stakeholders in the course of the two days.

In her opening keynote speech, Commissioner Damanaki addressed ‘blue growth’ as the economic pillar of the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy, which is fully integrated into the Europe 2020 strategy. Its main target is the creation of growth and new jobs in the maritime economy. This target could be achieved through further sustainable development of maritime sectors of the European economy. “I believe that maritime economy can open the way for new products, services and jobs – and for new, dynamic entrepreneurs to grab the chance and drive the economy forward; a healthy blue economy shapes the economy of the entire continent and can pull Europe out of the current crisis”, Commissioner Damanaki said. For the next steps, the Commission is preparing a Communication on Blue Growth that is expected to be released in September. Furthermore, a Ministerial Conference on Integrated Maritime Policy is scheduled to be held by the Cyprus Presidency in October, while specific recommendations and initiatives will follow in 2013. The Commission has also launched a call for tenders which will produce a set of concrete supporting measures for Blue Growth in the coming years.

Ways of achieving Blue Growth were widely discussed during the second day of the conference. “Today is our chance to develop substantial influence on EU Blue growth policies”, said Lowrie Evans, Director-General at DG MARE, while introducing the parallel workshops. These workshops addressed a variety of themes, among which some of particular interest to the port and shipping sector, such as sustainable shipping, the ‘sustainable waterborne transport toolbox’ on sulphur content of ship fuels and the use of LNG as an alternative maritime fuel.

The 2013 European Maritime Day Conference will be held in Valletta, Malta. All speeches and presentations of the current edition are available on the website of the European Commission .

In the framework of developing a comprehensive EU strategy on maritime and coastal tourism, the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and the Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR) of the European Commission have launched a questionnaire to gather the views of public authorities, businesses, citizens and civil society interested in maritime and coastal tourism.

The aim of the consultation is to assess which further action can effectively accompany sustainable economic growth and employment in this sector. Furthermore, the consultation aims at gathering the opinion of individuals and stakeholders that would like to shape the EU actions in the maritime and coastal tourism sectors. The information gathered through this consultation will feed into the preparation of a specific Commission Communication that is expected later this year.

Contributing to the consultation by completing the online questionnaire is possible until 6 august 2012.

The European Commission launched on 4 May a public consultation concerning the future of the Maritime Antitrust Guidelines. This consultation aims at gathering views from affected stakeholders regarding the eventual phasing out of the specific regime that currently exists for the maritime transport sector.

The current guidelines for operators active in liner shipping and tramp vessel services state how to assess compliance of their business practices with EU competition rules. These temporary guidelines will come to an end in September 2013 and the future orientations are supposed to suppress progressively all sectoral exemptions. As a result, the public consultation focuses on whether there is still a need for sector specific guidelines in the maritime transport sector.

The online consultation will be running until 27 July.

The evolving role of port authorities can be traced through the architecture of their headquarters. Prestigious city palaces tended to mark the vested power that fitted the historical, all-encompassing role of port authorities, whereas contemporary architecture displays a more functional and business-oriented profile. Other port authorities have established themselves in former warehouses or passenger terminals, thus connecting with the industrial heritage of their ports. Whatever period they date from, port authority headquarters are generally landmark sites in the architectural landscape of port cities. Their interiors quite often boast original design features and remarkable art collections.

To commemorate its 20^th anniversary in 2013, ESPO is preparing ‘The Port Office’, a richly illustrated coffee-table book which will tell the story of European port authorities through the architecture, art and design of their head offices. As such, it will illustrate the diversity of European ports in an original manner. ‘The Port Office’ furthermore continues the cultural line of ‘Water Music’ and ‘PORTraits’, the music and cinema projects that marked the 10th and 15th anniversaries of the organisation. The book will be published by Pandora Publishers and appear early November 2013, on the occasion of the ESPO Award ceremony which, fittingly, will revolve that year around the ‘heritage’ theme.

European port authorities that have headquarters of high architectural, art and design value are invited to actively contribute to ‘The Port Office’. More information on practical modalities can be obtained from the ESPO secretariat: cecile.overlau@espo.be

Photo: Palazzo San Giorgio, Headquarters of Genoa Port Authority

Several ports have already confirmed their intention to participate to this year’s ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports. For the 2012 competition, the theme ‘Youth’ was chosen. Societal integration of ports also means making future generations of employees, neighbours and other stakeholders aware of what the port sector has to offer. Awareness has to start at an early age and this is why the 2012 edition of the ESPO Award wants to promote projects of ports reaching out to young people, whether these are school children, students or young professionals. A variety of possibilities exists, including educational partnerships at various levels (from kindergarten to university), hands-on experience events, job campaigns and the use of games and multimedia.

Project submissions must reach the ESPO secretariat by the 15 July at the latest. The fourth ESPO Award will be officially handed out during an evening ceremony which will be held on 7 November in Brussels. Terms of reference and application forms for the 2012 competition can be found on the ESPO website.