Ports facilitate European commerce

75% of EU trade goes by sea with European ports handling 3.7bn tonnes of goods in 2011 and connected to 848 ports in the Far East and 629 in Central and South America. In the last twenty years the number of containers has quadrupled but despite these impressive numbers, the effectiveness of port operations in Europe means they rarely steal the spotlight and many people do not fully grasp the role of ports and terminal operations in Europe and how they facilitate European commerce.

The port sector is investing considerably in connections with the hinterland as well as in IT technologies, which can ease processes in the entire supply chain. Ports, as crucial entry and exit points of the EU, and inland ports as important connecting points and hinterland hubs within Europe, help to facilitate trade. This means that the good functioning of sea ports and inland ports, assisted by a supportive regulatory framework, has the potential to benefit all sectors which are directly and indirectly linked through global supply chains.

The event aimed to provide a perspective on port operations from different angles was attended by Members of the European Parliament, counsellors from the Permanent Representations of various Member States, representatives from the European Commission, and participants from some of Europe’s biggest ports.