EC issues second proposal to liberalize port services

EC issues second proposal to liberalize port services    The European Commission today issued a revised, second proposal on the liberalization of market access for port services, despite the rejection last November of its first directive proposal on the same subject by the European Parliament.
   The second proposal “aims at boosting the competitiveness of European Union ports and contributing to reduce congestion and environmental pollution by promoting inter alia maritime transport,” the EC said.
   “I am convinced that this new proposal now contains the necessary measures to reassure the different worries raised with the previous proposal,” said Loyola de Palacio, the outgoing European commissioner in charge of transport and energy.
   Contrary to the first proposal, the latest text would introduce a system of compulsory “authorizations” for service providers. “The commission wishes in this way to reconcile the need to allow efficient and effective access of competent port service providers with the need to ensure proper management of a port with its inherent constraints as well as to ensure a satisfactory level of professional qualifications,” the EC added.
   The proposal aims to achieve competition between providers of a same port service within a port, as well as competition between ports on a level playing field.
   The EC said its new text is based both on its original 2001 proposal and the 2002 amended proposal, as well as numerous amendments made by the European Parliament, the European Council and interested parties.
   The directive would also cover pilotage services, deemed to be a service of a commercial nature.
   “Self-handling,” or stevedoring operations carried out by seafarers, would be allowed under certain conditions for short sea services. Land-based personnel would also be allowed to do “self-handling” operations.
   Stevedores’ unions had criticized the previous proposal for allowing non-EU, low-wage seafarers to undercut local workers in the provision of stevedoring services.