Position paper of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) on permitting and facilitating the preparation of TEN-T core network projects

31 August 2016

Ports need additional space to develop in order to optimize green hinterland connections, upgrade existing infrastructure, and cope with the continuing growth of traffic (cargo handled short sea shipping and global container traffic). Growth aspirations can, however, be limited by conflicting policies on competition, transport and environmental protection. Coastal areas often constitute rich ecosystems and they are often also the ideal location for residential development. However, they are essential in port development plans and fundamental for the up-grade and further development of transport infrastructure, needed to complete the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Despite the good practice examples, port development projects have overall suffered significantly from increased costs, complex approval procedures and resulting delays that are not always justified by other societal benefits.


You can find the full position paper in attachment.

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