ESPO and FEPORT say to the proposal of the EU commission not to designate some ports where to carry out the changes of the crews of the ships



The association of the European ports and the federation of the private European harbour terminalisti says to the proposal turned to the nations of the EU from the EU commission not to characterize specific ports in which being able to carry out in safety the changes of the crews of the ships in this moment of sanitary emergency for the coronavirus pandemic(on 9 April 2020).

The European Sea Ports the Private Organisation (ESPO) and Federation of European Port Companies and Terminals (FEPORT) has evidenced, as already previously they had made their representatives, the necessity to supply with urgency to that the substitution of the crews can be carried out necessary in order to allow a correct one and sure activity of marine transport of goods who are essential in this phase of crisis and, to such purpose, has specified to receive with favor the proposal of same the EU commission to institute preferred lanes so that the workers of the field of the transports can cross the national borders without useless slows down and obstacles(on 16 March 2020).

But ESPO and FEPORT are contrary to the proposal to designate suitable ports to the change of the crews for essentially technical reasons. The two organizations have explained that the ports of call of the ships in the ports are planned within complex a logistic chain and in consideration of the requirements of distribution of the goods on the territories served from the ports. For example - they have clarified ESPO and FEPORT - it is not possible and not even favorable that a mineraliera ship, single for being able to carry out the change of the crew, is reindirizzata towards a port specifically equipped for the landing place of ferries. Moreover they have explained that all the ports, in this phase of bending of the marine traffics, will have to afford to the ships not used of being able to pause to the mooring in dock, arrest warrant that in itself involves automatically the necessity of being able to disembark and to embark the crew.

Emphasizing that "today all the European ports are indeed making of their best in order to continue to being operating and to continue to carry out their role of nodes primary in the chain of supplyings and in order to continue also to being motor of increase for their regions", Isabelle Ryckbost, general secretary of the ESPO, it has observed that "a hierarchical selection of some ports actions to the change of the crews could involve serious repercussions on some ports and some harbour activities and cause without reason the interruption of a supply chain that it is already under pressure. If in a nation the changes of crew and their transfer can be facilitated from and for a port - it has found Ryckbost - they can be facilitated in all the ports. This problem would have to be resolved in the short possible time, but not to carry to a hierarchical reorganization of the ports of port of call in Europe. The concept of preferred lanes, together to a better coordination between the Member States - it has evidenced - constitutes the more effective solution".

"We consider - it has agreed the general secretary of FEPORT, Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid - than an initiative as that of the preferred lanes is sure useful and supports our efforts, but would have favorite that the EU commission had sped up the Member States to facilitate the changes of the crews in any port, whereby possible".