EP TRAN ADOPTS INI REPORT ON A EUROPEAN PORT STRATEGY
On 7 December, the EP’s TRAN Committee unanimously adopted its own-initiative report on building a comprehensive European port strategy. Led by Rapporteur MEP Tom Berendsen (EPP, NL), the report suggests several measures to improve the competitiveness of EU ports and maritime transport in general.
Overall, MEPs stressed that ports play a crucial role in economy, provide jobs, facilitate external trade, energy transition and decarbonisation. On the risk of non-EU investment in European ports (particularly China) leading to economic dependence, espionage or sabotage, the TRAN Committee suggests limiting foreign influence in EU ports and call on the Commission and EU governments to urgently carry out a risk assessment of China’s and other non-EU countries involvement in maritime infrastructure, its impact on labour and the environment. MEPs also suggest setting up a mandatory screening of foreign direct investments and more cooperation between EU countries in blocking suspicious investments in critical infrastructure.
MEPs highlighted some risk to the competitiveness of EU ports, notably due to attempts to evade the implementation of EU rules on ETS and on sustainable maritime fuels, resulting in container transhipment activities shifting to non-EU ports. MEPs proposed to detect and prohibit this behaviour. Finally, in order to foster the cooperation between EU ports and address the aforementioned issues, MEPs call for the organisation of a European Port Summit and urge the Commission to present a European Port Strategy before the end of 2024.
The own-initiative report will now be debated and voted at the EP’s Plenary session in January 2024.
Source: European Parliament