| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 296 final (23.5.13) |
| Publication Date | 23/05/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Europe is one of the most dense port regions worldwide. At the same time, the port sector is very heterogeneous and characterised by a wide diversity in types and organisation. This Regulation respects this diversity and does not seek to impose a uniform model for ports. Over 1,200 commercial seaports operate along some 70,000 kilometres of the Union’s coasts. In 2011, around 3.7 billion tonnes of cargo (more than 60,000 port calls of merchant ships) transited through European ports. In terms of passenger transport, EU ports handled 385 million maritime passengers in 2011. While the EU is highly dependent on its ports for its trade with the rest of the world, its ports also play a key role for its own internal market. Thus short sea shipping represents 60% of the tons handled in EU ports. Seaports are key nodal points of the EU intermodal transport chains using short sea shipping as an alternative to saturated land transport routes and as a way to connect peripheral or island areas. Port activities contribute directly to employment, inward investment and GDP growth. 2,200 port operators currently employ around 110,000 port dockers. In total, ports represent up to 3 million (direct and indirect) jobs in the 22 maritime Member States and are a major source of tax revenues for local, regional or national governments. 96% of all freight and 93% of all passengers through the EU ports transit through the 319 seaports identified in the Commission's proposal for Guidelines on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The proposal fits within the policy announced by the Commission in the White Paper on Transport (2011) and has been explicitly announced under the heading of a Single European Transport Area and market access to ports. The White Paper clearly states the intention of the Commission to review restrictions on provisions of port services and to enhance the transparency on ports' financing, clarifying the destination of public funding to the different port activities, with a view to avoid any distortion of competition. The proposal has also been identified as one of the key actions of the Single Market Act II and will contribute to the completion of the European Single Market. See also Communication from the Commission - Ports: an engine for growth |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:296:FIN |
| Related Links |
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| Subject Categories | Mobility and Transport |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
