Piraeus, 10.05.2012
PRESS RELEASE
In the Annual General Meeting of the European Union Ports (ESPO), which took place in SOPOT Poland, the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA SA) took part, headed by the General Director of the Organization, Mr. Stavros Hatzakos, and the General Secretary Mr. Thanos Pallis.
The main topics of the General Assembly, which was attended by the Vice President of the European Commission and Transport Commissioner Mr. S. Kallas, were:
(a) matters of public-private partnership in the port and
(b) the investment and financing of port infrastructure.
From the side of PPA SA, once again the European model of port development was supported, based on public ownership and interest in the open through concessions to private companies operating status, positions which had been developed in the General Assembly of ESPO in 2011 by Mr. George Anomeritis, President of the Association of Ports and Greece’s PPA SA. Note that 96% of ownership of the European ports is owned by the public, local government, chambers of commerce and shipping operators and only 4% have become 100% private.
Regarding investments, all agree in the direction of strengthening infrastructure through public and private investments, through concessions areas of port activity, either by the state to the port organizations, or all Port Operators to businesses or business groups.
In the meantime, in Piraeus on the 18th of May, the Conference Board Union of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise) will take place, with an agenda of issues which, among others concerns the issue of the headquarters of the Union moving from Barcelona to Piraeus. The Board will also discuss the situation in the countries of North Africa and the Development of the winter cruise in the Mediterranean.
