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42 Autumn 2017 European Energy Innovation
         THE EU PORT POLICY AND GREEN PORTS

The EU port policy
and green ports1

By Rémi Mayet (pictured), Deputy Head of the Port and Inland Navigation Unit, European Commission

SUMMARY                                Maritime Organisation (IMO). The             Agreement on climate sent a clear
The ports of the trans-European        European ports are inevitably to be          signal. All sectors including shipping,
network for transport are essential    part of these changes, all the more          although not formally covered by the
to Europe’s growth and jobs. Both      that climate change and energy               agreement, must contribute to the
the amount of cargo handled in         transition are full of challenges and        decarbonisation efforts. Europe has
European ports and the size of         opportunities for them: infrastructure       also taken the lead to reduce the other
ships are expected to continue to      must be made climate-proof, the oil          pollutant emissions from maritime
increase significantly. At the same    and coal traffic declines and new            transport with the introduction of
time the Paris Agreement on climate    business opportunities emerge with           regional Emission Control Areas and
sent a clear signal and shipping,      the development of off-shore marine          a proactive stance in the International
although not formally covered by       renewable energies. The EU port              Maritime Organisation (IMO). For
the agreement, must also contribute    policy contribute to address these           the first time in October last year,
to the decarbonisation efforts.        challenges through the newly adopted         IMO adopted a global cap of
Moreover Europe has taken the          Port Services Regulation, modern state       sulphur content of marine fuels and
lead to reduce the other pollutant     aid control, support to multimodal           agreed to adopt an initial strategy
emissions from maritime transport      and alternative fuel infrastructure and      for the reduction of greenhouse gas
with the introduction of regional      actions to accompany the digitalisation      emissions from ships in 2018. The
Emission Control Areas and a           of transport. The Directorate General        European ports are inevitably to be
proactive stance in the International  for Mobility and Transport also created      part of these changes, all the more
                                                                                    that climate change and energy
                                                       a European Ports Forum in    transition are full of challenges and
                                                       July 2017.                   opportunities for them: infrastructure
                                                                                    must be made climate-proof and
                                                       As 75 pct. of all goods to   the oil and coal traffic will slowly
                                                       or from the EU are carried   decline while considerable new
                                                       by ship, the ports of the    business opportunities emerge with
                                                       trans-European network       the development of off-shore marine
                                                       for transport are essential  renewable energies and the circular
                                                       to Europe’s growth. Every    economy.
                                                       additional one million
                                                       tonnes of cargo handled      The EU port policy seeks to address
                                                       in a port create an average  all these challenges and to turn in
                                                       of 300 new jobs at local     a win-win strategy the apparent
                                                       level. The amount of cargo   trade-off between economy, jobs
                                                       handled in European          and environment by integrating
                                                       ports and the size of ships  ports in the internal market, tackling
                                                       are expected to continue     the bottlenecks in port hinterlands
                                                       to increase significantly    and pursuing ambitious EU
                                                       as shown by the last         decarbonisation and air quality goals,
                                                       series of order from large   ports being often in close proximity
                                                       European companies to        to dense urban areas. Technologies
                                                       build container vessels      that reduce the use of oil improve
                                                       of 22,000 Twenty-foot        economic efficiency of ships, while
                                                       Equivalent Units – twice     reducing the sectors' environmental
                                                       the maximum size of 10       footprint. A strong focus on green
                                                       year ago.                    innovation in the maritime/port sectors
                                                                                    will address public health and citizens'
                                                       At the same time the Paris

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