Marseille fights back

The move follows the port’s recognition that its poor performance, exacerbated by crippling industrial action in recent years, has damaged its reputation with traffic moving to neighbouring ports, both in France and Spain.

Following the French port reforms of 2011, the port community has come together for the first time to establish a strategic alliance between the port, its customers and unions, according to the port’s director general, Jean-Claude Terrier.

Plans are in place to upgrade the city-based Eastern basin facilities, including short-sea container and roll-on/roll-off traffic, while, at the same time, invest further in the expansion of the container operations at the Marseilles-Fos western docks deep-water facility further along the coast. This also involves the expansion of the adjacent ‘distriport’ distribution and manufacturing activities.