SST.2013.6-2. Towards a competitive and resource efficient port transport system
CP/CSA-CA - Call: FP7-TRANSPORT-2013-MOVE-1

Content and scope: The objectives of the action are to facilitate ports (maritime or inland waterway) to efficiently handle the increasing freight volumes; to enable seamless logistics chains; to review the restrictions on provisions for port services; to enhance the transparency on ports’ financing, highlighting the destination of public funding to the different port activities with a view to avoid any distortion of competition; and to “establish a mutually recognisable framework on the training of port workers in different fields of port activities (See the ‘Social Agenda for maritime transport’ of the 2011 White Paper on Transport policy)”. The same objectives are at the forefront of the EU transport policy actions (The 2011 White Paper on Transport policy identifies the need for a strong and highly specialised labour force to tackle the expected growth and change of job profiles in ports.)
This topic is aiming to address two particular challenges through two distinct projects. The first focuses on significant differences in current practice in collecting and interpreting ports data that restrict the ability to monitor the evolution, developments and needs of the EU port system. The second is examining the tremendous impacts of innovation (Highly sophisticated port handling equipment technologies and innovations in port processes and logistics.) dynamics as they become critical for the sustainable development of EU ports. Technological changes and market pressures will drive requirements for mastering innovative port operations and generating the necessary human resources, i.e. people with the right skills, training and qualifications to understand, master and exploit all the advantages provided by the new technologies.
A collaborative project is expected to develop a ports observatory with a set of indicators measuring EU ports performance, activities and developments. The results of the PPRISM project and other relevant work (The EUROSTAT Transport Working Groups, the ECOPorts initiative, individual reporting by ports, the Germanischer Lloyd 'Container Terminal Quality Indicator Standard', the experiences of the shipping-KPI project and others.), including failures from past projects, should be taken into account. Indicators should initially be identified across five different categories:
1) market trends and structure;
2) logistic chain and operational performance;
3) environment;
4) governance; and
5) socio-economic issues.
Starting from a limited set, focussing on the five different categories, forward-thinking should seek possible extensions and elaborations of the set of indicators. This collaborative action should go beyond the port authorities and develop an approach to obtain data from the whole port community: port  authorities, terminal operators, shipping lines calling to the different ports, etc. At the same time, it should ensure that inland ports are also covered by the observatory. The implementation will demonstrate that it satisfies stakeholder confidentiality concerns in the management of data. The indicators will be weighted and aggregated in order to have a comprehensive and meaningful output. A balanced representation of ports and port actors across the EU, and possibly the neighbouring countries, will be demonstrated and an easy to use interface for the collection of the data implemented.

To meet the second challenge another project will address sectorial changes and human issues, specifically needed skills, as a component of wider efforts to make EU ports more competitive and resource efficient. The competitiveness of European ports will depend on the ability to innovate and to apply new technologies in an effective and efficient way. The human element is one of the key factors of success. Port industries employees should not only be able to use new systems but to guide innovation. Core elements of the project then should consider processes of terminals and ports, new techniques and  technology changes, impacts on performance and evaluate staff development requirements to ensure safe and efficient operations but also to support career development and knowledge building. Relevant results of EU projects should be considered. The action should ensure the active participation of the key stakeholders and facilitate an effective, broad and open dialogue between the social partners within the port sector for pan-European solutions.

Expected impact:
• The first action should produce a knowledge and management tool for monitoring the efficiency and performance of sea and inland ports. It will allow a comprehensive view on port activities, developments and performance and, at the same time, allow for individual ports to compare their activities and operations with the EU average and with ports in other important regions like Asia and the Americas. The results should include appropriate mechanisms to collect, manage and distribute the data on a long term and to show trends over a substantial timeline and a business case to ensure sustainable continuity. For this activity, collaboration with Mediterranean Partner Countries would be welcome.
• The second action should support both the implementation of the International Labour Organization ‘Guidelines for Training of Workers in the Port Sector’ and the objective of the ‘Social Agenda for maritime transport’ for the establishment of a mutually recognisable framework on the training of port workers in different fields of port activities. It should identify anticipated human resource demand profiles, skill and training needs for EU ports in the 2030 horizon. It should facilitate consensus building on the next steps that need to be made in accomplishing the objectives of a sustainable and efficient EU port system.