About the strategic role of the TEN-T network
Once again as the people of Ukraine are facing a tragedy, we see how crucial the EU transport network and the role played by different modes of transport are in allowing refugees to leave their country to be safe or enabling the delivery of food, medicines and other commodities needed by those who stayed in Ukraine. War must cease immediately and FEPORT expresses its full support to the Ukrainian people. We hope that peace will prevail again, and that the EU transport network will also play a role in supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Mid-March 2022, FEPORT has been invited to an important hearing organized by the TRAN Committee of the European Parliament regarding the revised TEN-T Regulation. A very timely discussion for the EU, given its environmental and strategic ambitions.
The objective of this hearing was to discuss the revised TEN-T Regulation and clarify why, from the perspective of private companies and terminals operating in European ports, this revision is crucial and must echo other priorities set in the Fit for 55 package and in the sustainable and smart mobility strategy.
FEPORT has always believed in the strategic role of the TEN-T network and in the importance of its completion. Investments in physical infrastructure must go hand in hand with a generalization of the use of digitalization both by public and private stakeholders in all modes of transport, as well as in nodes such as ports.
At this very moment, we see that EU seaports terminals are once again at the forefront of the battle to ensure that EU supplies and imports reach their final destination despite increased cargo checks in ports as a result of the sanctions imposed on Russia. Port activities are strategic for the EU economy in times of peace and even more in times of tensions and war.
In the framework of the ongoing revision of the TEN-T Regulation, it will be essential to elaborate rules that support the multimodal connectivity of European ports and facilitate private investment in superstructure and intermodal solutions.
It will also be crucial that the terminology and provisions of the future TEN-T Regulation remain consistent with other pieces of EU legislation.
But why is the TEN-T Regulation so important for investment and legal certainty?
As already mentioned, infrastructure for the movement of goods and people as well as for data are a prerequisite for Europe’s success in the world.
As private port operators compete and commit themselves to private capital intensive and long-term binding port investments, they expect the EU and national policy makers to create a business-friendly framework with stable rules and foreseeable effects.
Harmonized implementation will also be important and constitutes the backbone of the certainty that private investors need to commit over the long term.
FEPORT members are private entities which invest their own financial resources in superstructure, i.e., equipment, sustainable intermodal solutions, as well as in the training and upskilling of port workers.
Who does what in terms of investments in ports?
Private port companies and terminals invest in superstructure, which can include all types of buildings (warehouses, pavements, offices, etc.), all sorts of improvements in order to operate in an efficient and sustainable manner, and all kinds of IT, fixed, semi-mobile and mobile, equipment. However, infrastructure, which is built, managed and maintained by public port authorities on behalf of Member States or other public entities/cities/administrations, is not in the remit of FEPORT members. It is important that these principles are also safeguarded in the revised TEN-T Regulation.
The revised TEN-T Regulation will also be a powerful instrument to support the greening of the sector and fund the necessary investments to be made in alternative fuels infrastructure. The definition of infrastructure must for instance be consistent with other pieces of legislation, including the Fit for 55 ones.
Another important objective of this revision should be to avoid a waste of public financial resources. This goal can be achieved through the introduction of provisions regarding the maintenance, upgrading and enhancement of existing projects of common interest providing European added value.
FEPORT members are also willing to play a role in proposing environmentally friendly solutions for cargoes leaving ports. They are also willing to get involved in the governance of the core network rail corridors under the condition that administrative burdens are reduced to facilitate the participation of private companies.
Finally, the revised TEN-T Regulation must address the distortive effects of foreign subsidies in the port sector thanks to clear provisions and not only general recommendations.
FEPORT is certainly looking forward to continuing the dialogue with institutional stakeholders to adopt a meaningful and useful revised TEN-T Regulation.
28.02.2021 – 2nd SEArica intergroup meeting on Fit for 55
On the 28th of February, FEPORT Secretariat attended a SEArica session on Fit for 55, the package of EU climate legislation that was proposed on the 14th of July, 2021, and is now being discussed in the various committees of the European Parliament (EP). The event was a follow-up on an earlier Fit for 55 session that SEArica hosted last December.
SEArica stands for Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas Intergroup and follows EU policies and initiatives related to maritime topics such as the Blue Growth Strategy and the Green Deal.
The session was opened by SEArica Chair, MEP Tonino Picula (S&D, HR), who underlined the important role of the maritime sector in the energy independence of the EU. This, according to him, has become even more crucial in view of recent events in Ukraine.
Afterwards, ITRE Rapporteur on FuelEU Maritime, MEP Rasmus Andresen (Greens, DE), provided an update regarding the discussions in Parliament on said file. He stressed that FuelEU Maritime should be based on a decarbonization pathway that allows the shipping sector to reach climate neutrality by 2040, which, according to him, recent scientific research shows is possible.
Then, TRAN shadow Rapporteur MEP Caroline Nagtegaal (Renew Europe, NL), gave some insights about debates regarding AFIR and the stakeholder roundtable on onshore power supply (OPS), she has been organizing in that context.
An important conclusion of this roundtable was that OPS requires a coordinated rollout and that, in order to match supply and demand, FuelEU Maritime and AFIR should be streamlined as much as possible. MEP Nagtegaal also underlined the importance of standardization and stressed that all public entities should work together on a deployment plan, adding that the national policy frameworks are key in that regard. Finally, she argued that one way of improving the business case for OPS could be through taxation measures.
MEP Nagtegaal then gave her views on some amendments to the AFI Regulation and Fuel EU seeking to reduce the baseline of said proposals, i.e., applying said regulations to ships of a lower gross tonnage than proposed by the Commission. She is of the opinion that the baseline should not be reduced in AFIR and FuelEU, while in the discussions on the revision of the EU ETS Directive this could be considered.
During the discussion with stakeholders that followed, it was stressed that OPS should be implemented in those places/berths/terminals where it makes the most sense. Regarding LNG, EU policies should follow a demand-driven approach, instead of a top-down implementation. When it comes to refueling infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia, she found that it is worthy to conduct pilot projects, adding that it is too early to already include strict requirements in the AFIR text.
Source: SEArica integroup
01.03.2021 – US President pursues major container alliances
In his State of the Union speech on the 1st of March, US President Joe Biden announced that new measures aiming at addressing the anti-competitive behavior of ocean carriers will be put in place in order to lower rates and level the playing field in ocean shipping.
Moreover, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced a new joint initiative to promote competition in the ocean freight transportation system. The DoJ will provide the FMC with the support of attorneys and economists from the Antitrust Division for enforcement of violations of the Shipping Act and related laws. The FMC will provide the Antitrust Division with support and maritime industry expertise for Sherman Act and Clayton Act (US antitrust laws) enforcement actions.
The White House also announced that the FMC will continue ramping up oversight of the global ocean shipping industry, with a new audit program established last summer to address complaints about carriers charging unfair fees, and a new data initiative to identify data constraints that are contributing to supply chain congestion.
Source: Splash
03.03.2021 – TRAN discusses ETD Draft opinion
On the 3rd of March, the TRAN Committee discussed the draft opinion prepared by MEP Maria Grapini (S&D, RO) on the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD), for which ECON is the leading Committee at the European Parliament.
The TRAN Committee Chair, MEP Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, FR), opened the discussion stating that, since its adoption, the climate and energy policy framework has changed radically, and ETD is therefore no longer in line with the current policies of the EU.
MEP Grapini stressed the important role that energy taxation has to play in the field of climate and energy policy, also when it comes to transport costs. The Rapporteur then expressed her concerns regarding the availability of alternative fuel infrastructure, which is why she tabled a number of amendments covering this topic.
Moreover, MEP Grapini explained that in her opinion the proposal has to avoid imposing multiple and overlapping taxes, as this would increase transport costs and thereby the final price for consumers. Given the context of the war in Ukraine and the insecurity of gas supply, the Rapporteur called for a gradual shift over a period of 10 years, i.e., meaning the implementation would start as of 2025, instead of in 2023. Furthermore, MEP Grapini believed that costs for producers and suppliers should be controlled through adjustments at Member State level, considering the prices of raw materials.
The Rapporteur expressed her reservations regarding the Commission’s power to issue delegated acts for an undetermined amount of time and called for a time limit.
07.03.2021 – EU Commission launches public consultation on the revision of Combined Transport Directive
On the 7th of March 2022, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of Combined Transport Directive. The public consultation’s deadline is the 30th of May, 2022.
The Combined Transport Directive is an important Union legal instrument supporting intermodal freight transport and more specifically the shift to lower emission transport modes (rail, inland waterways and short sea shipping), thereby reducing carbon emissions and other negative externalities of the transport sector.
However, the Directive is partially outdated and low in effectiveness and, already in 2017, the Commission adopted a proposal to amend the Directive to improve its effectiveness. The Commission decided to withdraw this proposal given that several amendments introduced by the co-legislators distorted the proposal in a manner which prevented the achievement of its objectives.
Following the European Green Deal goals, the Commission now intends to have a more ambitious Directive. Its revision will be carried out in an integrated approach with Naiades III as well as the revisions of the TEN-T Guidelines, the Rail Freight Corridors Regulation, and the Weights and Dimensions Directive.
With the upcoming proposal, the Commission seeks to facilitate an increase in the share of rail, short sea shipping and inland waterways in total freight transport. The revision aims to widen the scope of the directive, whilst increasing the choice and level of support measures to transport organizers.
The Commission is planning to release its initiative in the third quarter of 2022.
08.03.2022 – EU Commission proposes REPowerEU plan
On the 8th of March, the European Commission published a communication on a Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy. The communication outlines a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas.
It sets out the short-term measures to be taken by the EU and Member States to:
- Protect European consumers from energy price hikes, and
- Ensure that the EU will have sufficient gas stocks during winter.
In addition, the communication lays the foundations for the REPowerEU plan, which the Commission proposes to implement with Member States as from summer 2022, to progressively eliminate the EU’s dependence on Russian gas by raising the EU’s decarbonization ambitions and accelerating the pace of decarbonization.
This communication is not legally binding on companies nor Member States. It is rather an action plan and the initiatives announced will have to be further developed before their consequences can be fully appreciated. Some of these initiatives will be addressed in the ongoing negotiations on the Fit for 55 package and will likely figure prominently in the debates.
14.03.2022 – OECD Commentary to BEPS Pillar 2
On the 14th of March, the OECD published the Commentary on the Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) Rules for the BEPS Pillar 2. The paper provides technical guidance on the operation and intended outcomes under the Pillar 2 rules.
The Commentary states that inland transportation could be considered as ancillary to an international shipping income by the OECD Model Tax Convention, but it is not covered by the exclusion of international shipping income and its related activities. Inland transportation should therefore be subject to the global minimum corporate tax. The Commentary recognizes that including inland transportation in the scope of the corporate tax “mitigates the risk of competitive distortions between shipping companies that have vertically integrated such services and independent freight forwarding and land-based logistics service providers.”
15.03.2022 – FEPORT participates to the TRAN Hearing on TEN-T
On the 15th of March, FEPORT Secretary General participated as speaker in the TEN-T dedicated Hearing organized by the Committee on Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament.
Mrs Kerdjoudj-Belkaid explained that FEPORT an its members fully subscribe to the TEN-T policy aim of promoting multimodal mobility and, in that context, approve of actions to improve seaports’ connections to rail freight and inland waterways in line with the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the Strategy for Sustainable and Smart Mobility.
Nevertheless, FEPORT stresses the need for consistency and clarity in the revision of this Regulation, especially when it comes to defining operations taking place in ports, and responsabilities and requirements linked to port infrastructure.
“Private companies and terminals in ports are at the junction between maritime and land based modes of transport. 1225 private companies in our membership have invested 56 billions Euros in EU ports and strongly believe in the added value of a multimodal connectivity of EU ports both for businesses and communities”, Mrs Kerdjoudj-Belkaid stated. “A clear and well implemented revised TEN-T regulation will play a key role as an enabler of investment”, she continued.
On the public side, port authorities are responsible for the building, management and maintenance of port infrastructure on behalf of Member States or other public entities. Terminal operatorsare private entities which compete and invest their own financial resources in superstructure, i.e., equipment, sustainable intermodal solutions, in training, upskilling of port workers, and much more.
FEPORT thus calls for the revised TEN-T Regulation to be consistent with the terminology defining ‘port infrastructure’, ‘port superstructure’.
Moreover, FEPORT calls for the avoidance of irrelevant technical requirements, especially for last mile connections, and to prevent wasting public financial resources by ensuring that projects proving their European added value continue to benefit from infrastructure optimization, maintenance, consolidation and upgrading.
In conclusion, FEPORT fully supports the revision of the TEN-T guidelines in view of adapting them to the EU’s increased green ambitions. It is nevertheless of paramount importance that the revised TEN-T Regulation retains the distinction between ‘port infrastructure’ and ‘port superstructure’, so as to clarify the difference between the two and, thus, the body responsible for their building, management and maintenance.
Moreover, FEPORT calls for a harmonized implementation of this piece of legislation so as to provide legal certainty to private port operators who compete and commit themselves to private capital intensive and long-term binding port investments. It is crucial that EU and national policy makers create a business-friendly framework with stable rules and foreseeable effects.
15.03.2022 – TEN-T Regulation revision: information session for the CNC Forum, MoS and ERTMS stakeholders
On the 15th of March 2022, the European Commission organized a webinar regarding the revision of the TEN-T Regulation, for which the EU Commission issued a proposal on the 14th of December, 2021.
The session was opened by Mr. Herald Ruijters, Director of Directorate B (Investment, Innovative & Sustainable Transport) at DG MOVE. In his opening address, he highlighted the close connection of TEN-T with Fit for 55 legislation, such as EU ETS, the Renewable Energy Directive and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, adding that the TEN-T guidelines now include new criteria that are aligned with the Green Deal. Moreover, a new milestone has been included, i.e., to conclude the extended core network by 2040.
Mrs Silke Brooks, Deputy Head of Unit at Unit B1 of DG MOVE (Transport Networks), then went on to explain why the TEN-T is currently being revised. In the Commission’s views, this revision is needed to align the TEN-T with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the Green Deal Objectives. Moreover, the Commission found it important to have a mid-term review of the TEN-T before the completion of the core network in 2030.
Mrs Brooks also highlighted the new elements in the TEN-T revision proposal and provided an overview of changes per mode of transport. For example, the European Transport Corridors will merge the core network corridors with the rail freight corridors, meaning that the current deadlines regarding the completion of the rail freight corridors will be advanced by 10 years.
Regarding rail, the Commission’s proposal aims to create a competitive and interoperable rail freight network and introduces new standards regarding line speed and makes standards regarding train length and axle load also mandatory on the comprehensive network.
For the inland waterways, the Commission’s goal is to set minimum requirements, while allowing requirements to be tailor-made for each river basin. The proposal therefore sets requirements regarding minimum navigable channel depth (2.5m) and the height of non-operable bridges (5.25m), but does not include reference water levels or a minimum number of days during which these standards must be met. This needs to be assessed per river-basin and the European Coordinators will have an important role to play in that regard.
In the case of short-sea shipping, a major change is that the TEN-T now also includes domestic short-sea shipping connections as well as connections with third countries and short sea shipping connections between comprehensive and core ports.
After this presentation of the proposal by DG MOVE, followed a series of statements by the Coordinators of the various TEN-T corridors. Themes evoked related, for example, to the importance of aligning the TEN-T proposal with the national recovery plans and the interrelations between the civil and military uses of infrastructure. Motorways of the Seas coordinator, Mr Kurt Bodewig, stressed that it is key to focus on the hinterland connectivity of ports. Some coordinators also highlighted the need of foreign direct investment screening on the core network or pointed to the need to maintain infrastructure overtime and adopt a life-cycle approach to assess the effectiveness of investments.
15.03.2022 – Council announces a fourth package of sanctions on Russia
On the 15th of March, the Council of the EU formally announced a new wave of economic sanctions on Russia.
These sanctions most notably prohibit new investments in the Russian energy sector, and introduce comprehensive export restrictions on equipment, technology, and services for the energy industry. Additionally, all transactions with certain sate-owned enterprises are prohibited, as well as the provision of credit rating services.
Tighter export restrictions are imposed on dual-use goods and technology which might contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defense and security sector. Finally, further trade restrictions are imposed on iron, steel, and luxury goods.
Separately, the Commission announced, together with other G7 countries and partners such as the Republic of Korea and New Zealand, that they would not treat Russia as a most-favored-nation within the WTO framework anymore. In practice, this deprives Russia of key trade advantages as a WTO member, by ensuring that the products of Russian companies no longer receive most-favored-nation treatment in signatories’ economies.
15.03.2022 – ECOFIN adopts general approach on CBAM
On the 15th of March, the Council reached agreement on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulation.
The main objectives of this environmental measure are to avoid carbon leakage by targeting imports of carbon-intensive products from a number of sectors (cement, aluminum, fertilizers, electric energy production, iron and steel), and to prevent offsetting the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts through imports of products manufactured in non-EU countries, where climate change policies are less ambitious than in the European Union. CBAM should also help prevent the relocation of the production or the import of carbon-intensive products.
Compared to the initial proposal by the Commission, the Council opted for a greater centralization of the CBAM governance, where it makes sense and contributes to greater efficiency. For example, the new registry of CBAM declarants (importers) is to be centralized at EU level.
The Council also foresees a minimum threshold which exempts consignments with a value of less than €150 from the CBAM obligations. This measure would reduce administrative complexity, as around one third of consignments to the Union would fall under that category, while their aggregate value and quantity represents a negligible part of greenhouse gas emissions of total imports of such products into the Union.
The Council still has to make sufficient progress on a number of issues, which are closely related to CBAM, but are not part of the draft legal text of the CBAM regulation. This concerns in particular the phase-out of free allowances under EU ETS allocated to industry sectors covered by the CBAM, and appropriate solutions on the issue of limiting potential carbon leakage from exports, so that the economic efficiency, environmental integrity and WTO compatibility of the CBAM are ensured.
22.03.2022 – OSRA Bill passed by U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
On the 22nd of March, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved 11 bills, including the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), which was introduced in the Senate in February by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD), and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 27 senators.
“Congestion at ports and increased shipping costs pose unique challenges for U.S. exporters, who have seen the price of shipping containers increase four-fold in just two years, raising costs for consumers and hurting our businesses. Meanwhile, ocean carriers that are mostly foreign-owned have reported record profits,” said Senator Klobuchar (D-MN). “This legislation will help level the playing field for American exporters so they can get their goods to market in a timely manner for a fair price. Now that this bill has passed the Commerce Committee, it is one step closer to being signed into law.”
“My bill would level the playing field for American farmers, exporters, and consumers by making it harder for ocean carriers to unreasonably refuse goods that are ready to export at U.S. ports,” said Senator Thune (R-SD). “This legislation would also give the FMC greater rulemaking authority to regulate harmful practices by carriers. These improvements would provide the FMC with the tools necessary to address unreasonable practices by ocean carriers and hold them accountable for their bad-faith efforts that disenfranchise American producers, including those throughout South Dakota, who feed the world.”
The OSRA bill will now proceed to full Senate consideration. Negotiations will then start to find a compromise with the U.S. House of Representatives which passed similar legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support in December, before being sent to the US President, who has already endorsed the legislation.
22.03.2022 – ENVI Committee discusses EU ETS
On the 22nd of March, the ENVI Committee of the European Parliament discussed the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System.
The Rapporteur on the file, MEP Peter Liese (EPP, DE), opened the debates admitting that the Russian aggression has inevitably altered the present discussions and that MEPs have to wisely reflect on the future steps towards the EU decarbonization goals.
If countries want to use nuclear and or coal to break their dependency on Russian gas in the short term, this is understandable. The long-term solution however is different and, in the medium and long term, the Fit for 55 proposals are the solution rather than the problem. When questioning the targets of the package, MEPs should be aware that they will discourage industry. Nevertheless, the Rapporteur expressed his gratefulness towards his colleagues, whom are all cooperating on this file.
MEP Liese informed the Committee that over 1,000 amendments were tabled and many more are to be expected from the Committees for opinions. He continued saying that the ETS file is – in his opinion – the core of the Fit for 55 package and he is convinced that more work should be devoted to the delineation of incentives and the allocation of revenues.
23.03.2022 – EU Commission adopts Temporary Crisis Framework to support the economy in context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
On the 23rd of March, the European Commission has adopted a Temporary Crisis Framework to enable Member States to use the flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The State aid Temporary Crisis Framework based on Article 107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, recognizes that the EU economy is experiencing a serious disturbance. To remedy that, the Temporary Crisis Framework provides for three types of aid:
- Limited amounts of aid: Member States will be able to set up schemes to grant up to €35,000 for companies affected by the crisis active in the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors and up to €400,000 per company affected by the crisis active in all other sectors. This aid does not need to be linked to an increase in energy prices, as the crisis and the restrictive measures against Russia affect the economy in multiple ways, including by physical supply chain disruptions. This support can be granted in any form, also through direct grants.
- Liquidity support in form of State guarantees and subsidized loans: Member States will be able to provide (i) subsidized State guarantees to ensure banks keep providing loans to all companies affected by the current crisis; and (ii) public and private loans with subsidized interest rates.
- Member States can grant State guarantees or set up guarantee schemes supporting bank loans taken out by companies. These would have subsidized premiums, with reductions on the estimated market rate for annual premiums for new loans for SMEs and non-SMEs.
- Member States can enable public and private loans to companies with subsidized interest rates. These loans must be granted at an interest rate, which is at least equal to the risk-free base rate plus specified credit risk premiums applicable to SMEs and non-SMEs respectively.
For both kinds of support, there are limits regarding the maximum loan amount, which are based on the operating needs of a company, taking into account its turnover, energy costs or specific liquidity needs. The loans may relate to both investment and working capital needs.
- Aid to compensate for high energy prices: Member States will be able to partially compensate companies, in particular intensive energy users, for additional costs due to exceptional gas and electricity price increases. This support can be granted in any form, including through direct grants. The overall aid per beneficiary cannot exceed 30% of the eligible costs, up to a maximum of €2 million at any given point in time. When the company incurs operating losses, further aid may be necessary to ensure the continuation of an economic activity. To that end, Member States may grant aid exceeding these ceilings, up to €25 million for energy-intensive users, and up to €50 million for companies active in specific sectors, such as production of aluminum and other metals, glass fibers, pulp, fertilizer or hydrogen and many basic chemicals.
The Temporary Crisis Framework will be in place until 31 December 2022.
24.03.2022 – TCG discusses Ukraine war impact on trade and logistics
On the 24th of March, FEPORT attended an ad hoc meeting organized by the DG TAXUD Trade Contact Group (TCG) regarding the war in Ukraine and the challenges EU traders and logistics operators are confronted with.
During this dedicated meeting, a number of TCG members took the floor to voice their concerns regarding the current situation in Ukraine and update the Commission on how the EU trade sanctions against Russia and Belarus are disrupting their activities as well as to advise how customs simplifications could facilitate procedures for entering refugees and humanitarian shipments to Ukraine. The Commission also presented recent initiatives towards improving coordination among Member States and providing better guidance on the implementation of the EU sanctions currently in place.
FEPORT Secretariat updated the Commission and TCG members regarding the impacts on maritime logistics and terminals. The Secretariat explained that:
- Major volume drops are witnessed on the China-Germany silk road connection which passes through Russia (-40%). In addition, trains are diverted via Belarus which causes additional costs.
- Bunkering prices are currently very volatile and are expected to remain so in the foreseeable future.
- Energy market volatility makes it also more costly to operate terminal equipment
- Concerns exist regarding shortages of truck drivers, and impacts this could possibly have on supply chains.
Regarding customs and congestion, FEPORT Secretariat explained that:
- Customs controls for Russian cargoes have intensified because of the sanctions. In many cases, each container destined for Russia is checked individually.
- In the current context of congestion, it is crucial to extend the Temporary storage limit from 90 to 120 days. If needed by urgently amending the UCC which could also be helpful in future crises.
- Member States should designate areas outside of the port where cargoes can be temporarily stored.
Instructions regarding Russian/sanction cargoes should be uniform across the EU. At current, different approaches are followed, ranging from ports refusing cargoes to policies where cargoes are sent back to the port of origin.
Members' News Corner
09.03.2022 – HHLA welcomes refugees from Ukraine
HHLA has welcomed in Hamburg about 120 women, children and elderly people, family members of HHLA Odessa staff fleeing from the war in Ukraine. Additionally, HHLA employees have collected more than €40,000 for a Together for Odessa campaign.
Since the closure of its terminal in the port of Odessa following the Russian attacks on Ukraine, a HHLA team organized transport from Romania to Hamburg, while support staff assisted people who had fled Odessa in their private cars.
The refugees will temporarily stay with German HHLA employees. More than 70 HHLA employees and their relatives and neighbors have offered people a place to stay in their homes, supported by HHLA staff members with knowledge of Ukrainian and Russian.
HHLA operates a container terminal in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa. The terminal was closed and employees sent home when the Russian army invaded Ukraine. HHLA immediately arranged to pay employees their monthly salaries in advance so that they could afford goods they need for everyday consumption.
Source: Freight Business Journal
18.03.2022 – PSA throughput figures for 2021
PSA International has released its container throughput figures for 2021. The group handled 91.5M TEU in 2021, a 5.6% increase from the 86.6M TEU it handled in 2020.
Most of the growth came from outside Singapore. PSA Singapore contributed 37.2 million TEUs, an increase of 1.6% as compared to 2020. PSA terminals outside Singapore delivered a total throughput of 54.3 million TEUs, which grew 8.4% over 2020. The 37.2M TEU handled in Singapore is only marginally ahead of the 36.89M TEU PSA Singapore handled in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted global trade.
In financial metrics, PSA Group revenue increased by 11.7% due higher throughput and storage revenues. Profit from operations increased by 13.7%, and overall net profit for the year went up by 18.2% in comparison to the previous year due to the growth in other income and lower financing cost.
Source: World Cargo news
Events supported by FEPORT
To know more, please follow the link.
To know more, please follow the link.
To know more, please follow the link.
FEPORT meetings
14.04.2022 Board of Directors – Remote
26.04.2022 Social Affairs Committee – Brussels
03.05.2022 Environment, Safety and Security Committee – Brussels
18.05.2022 Customs and Logistics Committee – Brussels
19.05.2022 Port Policy Committee – Brussels
09-10.06.2022 FEPORT General Assembly – Hamburg
08.09.2022 Board of Directors – Brussels
06.10.2022 Environment, Safety and Security Committee – Brussels
18.10.2022 Social Affairs Committee – Brussels
20.10.2022 Customs and Logistics Committee – Brussels
10.11.2022 Board of Directors – Remote
24.11.2022 Port Policy Committee – Brussels
Institutional meetings
20-21.04.2022 TRAN Committee Meeting – Brussels
20-21.04.2022 ENVI Committee Meeting – Brussels
25.04.2022 FISC Committee Meeting – Brussels
28.04.2022 TRAN Committee Meeting – Brussels
28.04.2022 ENVI Committee Meeting – Brussels
Other meetings
09-10.04.2022 Shipping 4.0 – Naples-Genoa
03-04.05.2022 European Environmental Ports Conference – Rotterdam
24-27.05.2022 ETF Congress – Budapest
31.05.2022 14th Meda Ports & Shipping Summit – Barcelona
09.06.2022 Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Ports meeting – Brussels
14-16.06.2022 TOC Europe – Rotterdam
28-30.06.2022 Connecting Europe Days – Lyon
28-30.06.2022 EuroMaritime Salon – Marseille
23.11.2022 Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Ports meeting – Brussels
FEPORT Newsletter - March 2022