On 18 December, Parliament and Council reached a deal on the review of the TEN-T Regulation, setting the requirements for all transport nodes and modes being part of the TEN-T network. The new Regulation revises the original Regulation of 2013 which for the first time identified ports as nodes in the network.
In accordance with the reached agreement, a port’s position in the TEN-T network will now be assessed not only on the basis of tonnage, but also on its contribution to the energy transition.
As Isabelle Ryckbost, the Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) states, “Even if volumes and tonnes remain an important indicator for ports as hubs in the logistic chain, it is not anymore the only indicator of performance. The decision to include ports that play an important role in the supply of energy in the TEN-T network is a huge step forward. It shows that the legislators recognise that energy is an important commodity and ports are key in ensuring both Europe’s energy security and energy transition. This energy role cannot always be counted in tonnes”.
ESPO is preparing an update of its 2018 Port Investment study in view of identifying the infrastructure investment needs of European ports, both in terms of categories of investments and investments amounts. The updated study will be released during the TEN-T Days, taking place on 2 – 5 April in Brussels.
For more information about the ESPO position, please see here.