the Committee of the Regions asks the EU to put the ports to the center of throws again and development of the European economy



The ports of the EU carry out a determining role in the economic development of the coastal regions, but also of the entire territory of the European Union. From the efficiency and competitiveness of the European marine ports of call important aspects of the performance of the strategy for the increase of the EU will depend. The Europe strategy the 2020 and strategy "blue increase" - that it constitutes its marine dimension - must therefore totally hold account of the importance of the harbour field and integrated harbour European politics.

The role of the ports for I throw again and the development of the European economy is emphasized in the course of a convention on the contribution of the ports EU on the implementation of the organized strategy Europe 2020 from the Political commission of territorial cohesion (COTER) of the Committee of the Regions (CdR), the assembly of the regional and local representatives of the European Union, than slid friday to Dunkerque has held.

The convention and the job started from the reporter of the CdR Alessandro Cosimi, mayor of Livorno, have the objective to make to carry the requests of the regional local authorities and in the process of review of European politics of the ports. The EU commission in fact has launch, last May, a new initiative turns to improve the harbour operations and the connections of beyond 300 great European marine ports ( on 23 May 2013). The objective is that to modernize the harbour services and at the market to attract to the investments guaranteeing a free access and improving the transparency financial institution.

In the course of the Alessandro Cosimi convention it has given voice to reserves of European the local and regional administrators: "we are worried - the mayor of Livorno has explained - by the fact that the Commission has underrated, in its study of impact, the territorial dimension of the harbour activities, as well as more if the challenges are considered with which European harbour politics it must be measured, as the phenomenon of "containerizzazione" and the threat of congestion in the outback of the main ports".

The project of seeming on the strategy of the EU commission will be discussed and adopted by the next the 26 COTER september, in order then to be introduced and voted to the plenary session of the CdR of the end of November 2013. Introducing the main guidelines of the document of job on which the opinion will be based, Cosimi has characterized some criticalities also with respect to the norm EU on the policies of boosting in this field: "servants - it has specified - a greater clarity regarding one of the more important points for I throw again of the section, we want therefore to face with the Commission the issue of the aids of State in harbour infrastructure matter, finding entirety adequate solutions". "Cities and regions - it has added the mayor of Livorno - must be involved in way structured also in the definition of the minimal norms for the performance of harbour services".

In its participation the mayor of Dunkerque, Michel Delebarre, member of the CdR, referring to the characteristics of Dunkerque, third party port of France and first energetic platform in Europe, has declared: "with the argument today European cities and regions are determined to totally integrate in the process of preparation of the future harbour politics, that it regards not only all the European ports, but also theirs hinterland. The European ports are in fact unwind it that it connects the earth and the sea and find as a thermometer the economic activity of the EU".

Frédéric Cuvillier, delegated minister of the French government in charge of the transports, of the sea and fishing, is taken part in order to introduce the new national strategy of the ports, being emphasized that it is directed in the first instance to make of the great marine ports a powerful lever to the service of the economy and the logistics, able to contribute to the creation of places of work and a balanced order of the territory, as well as to favor the ecological transition. Cuvillier has specified that this national strategy will be able to feed that of the decentralized French ports for a connection in net more efficient than all the French and European ports.

From part its Johan Vande Lanotte, viceprimo Belgian minister and minister of the economy, the consumers and the Sea of the North, has insistito on the fact that "the ports do not have to try to restore the existing situation before the crisis, but to decidedly aim the look for a various future. If every port anticipates its specificity - it has found - is however important for everyone of they to operate the correct choices for the sea that bathes them. So, in Belgium, the choice in favor of renewable energies in the Sea of the North determines with clarity the future of the port of Ostenda".