[240711.EN.BIZ] Euro-ports Back European Commission Transport Policy, But Find It Lacking

THE Port of Rotterdam Authority (PoRA) and the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) shares the European Commission's (EC) goals for a modal shift from road to inland waterways and railways, but are concerned with policies that are dangerous to competition.

Port interests also feared that many initiatives outlined in the EC white paper for a single European transport system, could ruled by regulatory bodies as they conflict with existing guidelines.

The minimum distance allowed for such initiatives of at least 300 kilometres between port and final destination fails to account for those inland waterway carriers providing lesser distances, in some cases as little as 50 kilometres to the port of Alphen aan den Rijn which vies with road carriers for market share.

Port interests also sought clarification on what rival ports are permitted to do to enhance market share, reported London's Containerisation International. "Rather than ruling out all forms of government financing, these guidelines should support and facilitate the development of the port system. 

This means that public funding of general port and port-related infrastructure available to all users should not be regarded as state aid."

Although it is behind the EC goal to shift 30 per cent of freight from road to rail and inland waterways by 2030, it believes that if the EC is to be confident half of all traffic will shift to modal by 2050, it must relax distance by the same to at least 150 kilometres.

The port interests support EC objectives to lessen SOx emissions to 0.1 per cent from its current one per cent in Emission Control Areas (ECA) but believes an extension of ECAs should include the North Sea and Baltic in order to retain competitive edge against Mediterranean ports which are classed as such.

Source : HKSG, 23.07.11.