FEPORT calls for consistency and coordination between different EU policies impacting the private cargo handling industry
During their General Assembly meeting held in Brussels on November 28th, 2018 FEPORT members
discussed their expectations in the coming years and commented upon the recent ITF Report on the
impact of alliances in container shipping.
The Waterborne sector is at the core of the EU’s economy creating 5.4 million jobs (about 2.25% of
all European employment) and generating currently €500 billion a year (3.4% of EU GDP). The
different industries which compose the waterborne sector enable 80% of external EU trade and
40% of internal EU trade.
As part of the waterborne sector, port terminals are ready to play their role – i.e. continue to
decrease GHG emissions, invest in training and in the acquisition of new skills by 220 000 port
workers, allocate resources to digitalize, invest in equipment and intermodal solutions that
facilitate the movement of cargo once it calls European ports and last but not least intensify their
cooperation with port equipment manufacturers to agree on industry standards that improve
safety, enhance interoperability, implement artificial intelligence, anticipate cyber security threats
etc.…
Port terminals have expectations towards regulators:
➢ Recognition that all sectors are important and a true reflection of this recognition in the way
policy is thought and implemented
➢ Elaboration of a holistic policy that breaks the silos and does not discourage industry efforts
to innovate and invest in new projects
➢ Coordination between Transport, Trade and Competition policies which are all impacting
waterborne industries in general and the cargo handling sector in particular.
➢ Consistency between different policies should guarantee an equality of treatment and a real
level playing field
“While going through the recent ITF report on the “impact of Alliances in container shipping”, we
have once again realized that the port industry, be it on the public or the private side, has produced
tremendous efforts to adapt. But it looks like these efforts are expected only from the port sector at
the expense of its profitability and the return on investment it may expect from new equipment or
new public infrastructure. In any industry, for any sector, it should be “a give and take”. It is about
rights but also obligations” said FEPORT President, Mr Gunther Bonz.
“These last twenty years, on one side, regulatory framework has been encouraging consolidation
and horizontal cooperation and on the other we, as port stakeholders, have been pushed to
compete. Fierce competition between large numbers of container terminals prevails for a customer
base that is shrinking…Where is the consistency from national and EU regulators?” added Mr
Gunther Bonz.
“ITF report is reflecting with accuracy the reality of the current developments in the cargo handling
industry. It is important to have data and good insights into the wider maritime sector because facts
and figures will enable regulators to have a better appraisal of the impact of the regulatory
frameworks they propose and adopt. We highly recommend that this report is carefully read by
regulators and policy makers who are currently preparing or reviewing legislation” concluded
FEPORT President.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid, Secretary General of FEPORT
