ESPO welcomes the fact that both initiatives value the important role that seaports play for the European economy and that the proposal complements the Commission’s earlier initiative to give ports a central position in the Trans-European Transport Networks.
“We appreciate that the Commission intends to recognise the central role of port authorities and we support the provisions of the regulation that aim to create greater financial transparency”, said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven. “At the same time, we are concerned about the competencies that the regulation attributes to other authorities and the impact some of the proposed procedures may have on the commercial freedom of ports and their ability to invest.”
The regulation proposal excludes cargo handling and passenger services from market access rules. ESPO believes that an inclusive, non-legislative approach, covering all port services, would have been more balanced and proportional in this respect.