ESPO si interroga sul futuro dei porti europei

ESPO (European Sea Port Organisation), in collaborazione con l'authority portuale di Rotterdam, ha organizzato la prima "European Sea Ports Conference", che si svolgerà il 17 e 18 giugno prossimi al Rotterdam Cruise Terminal del porto di Rotterdam. A seguito dell'esperienza sperimentata con la proposta di direttiva sui servizi portuali - ha osservato l'associazione dei porti europei - ESPO ha raccolto la sfida di iniziare una riflessione sul ruolo e il valore aggiunto dei porti per l'Unione Europea allargata. L'obiettivo - ha spiegato ESPO - è di stabilire una agenda UE che tenga conto del contesto più ampio nel quale i porti operano.

Program

DAY 1: THURSDAY, 17 JUNE 2004

09h30 - 12h30	GENERAL ASSEMBLY ESPO For official delegates to the ESPO General Assembly only. Venue and agenda to be announced.
12h30 - 14h00	Registration and welcome lunch
14h00 - 15h30	Official opening of ESPO 2004 Wim van Sluis, Alderman of the Port and Economic Affairs, City of Rotterdam David Whitehead, Chairman of ESPO Keynote speeches Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President of the European Commission Karla Peijs, Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, The Netherlands Seaports in perspective The socio-economic value of seaports in the enlarged EU - Prof. Dr. WillyWinkelmans, Chairman of the Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp (ITMMA) The positive response of European seaports to the environmental challenge - Prof. Dr. Chris Wooldridge, Director of Studies Marine Geography, University of Cardiff Seaports and the EU agenda - Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of ESPO
15h30 - 16h00	Tea
16h00 - 17h35	Perspective one: market dynamics (Chairman: Giuliano Gallanti, Vice Chairman of ESPO) Views from: The global container terminal operator - Richard C. Pearson, Director, Hutchison Port Holdings The intermodal service provider - Rutger van Slobbe, Director and member of the Executive Committe, P&O Nedlloyd (invited) Bulk shipping - John C. Lyras, Chairman, Paralos Maritime Corporation S.A. The breakbulk terminal operator - Jean-Jacques Westerlund, Chairman, Westerlund Group (invited) The mainport manager - Willem Scholten, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Q&A
17h35 - 17h45	Conclusions of the first day David Whitehead, Chairman of ESPO
19h30 - 22h30	CONFERENCE DINNER On board the M/S Smaragd

DAY 2: FRIDAY, 18 JUNE 2004

08h30 - 09h00	Registration and coffee
09h00 - 11h00	Perspective two: the transport chain (Chairman: Maria Nygren, Vice Chairman of ESPO) The development of the TEN-T - Philip Bradbourn, MEP - Rapporteur for the European Parliament TEN-T and the enlarged EU - Mr. Ainars Slesers, Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia (invited) Short sea shipping and "Motorways of the Sea": - François Marendet, Conseiller Technique, Secrétaire d'Etat aux Transports et à la Mer, France - Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director, Grimaldi Group Naples (invited) Sea-river shipping and inland hubs - Marie-Dominique Simonet, Director General of the Port Autonome de Liège (invited) Railway connections - Robert Spierings, Chairman European Rail Freight Association (invited) Q&A
11h00 - 11h30	Coffee
11h30 - 13h00	Perspective three: safety and security (Chairman: Pieter Struijs, President of IAPH, Director of the Port of Rotterdam) Security and the EU Customs Union - Frits Bolkestein, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Taxation and Customs Union (invited) Port and maritime security after 1 July 2004 - US Homeland Security Department (invited) Security of the transport chain - Dick van den Broeck Humphrey, Chairman of the European Shippers' Council The experience of the cruise industry - Stein Kruse, Holland Amerika Line (invited) Q&A
13h00 - 13h15	Conclusions of the conference and closing David Whitehead, Chairman of ESPO Willem Scholten, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam
13h15 - 14h30	Closing lunch