Ahead of the EU Parliament's vote on the revision of the European Regulation on guidelines for network development trans-European transport TEN-T, which is planned for the Next month, the association of European ports ESPO welcomed with In favour of the presentation by six different political groups of Over 40 amendments calling for a reassessment of importance of European ports within the network in order to reflect the current and future role of port ports for the supply of new energies. "The European ports - it has highlighted Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation - are central and crucial players in the new energy supply chains and They are making the energy transition. It's important translating this role and new realities into TEN-T policy and ensure that ports, which are instrumental to the provision of new energies, are part of the network. Counting only the tons - Ryckbost pointed out - we will not achieve this objective'.

Ryckbost talks about tons because so far it is the volume of traffic expressed in tonnes handled from a port to determine whether or not the airport is allowed to be part of the network trans-European TEN-T. In this regard, ESPO, despite considering that the volume of traffic is still a valid criterion for evaluating The importance of ports, however, considers that the time has come to take into account the essential role played by ports as hubs as part of the green transition and security of Europe's energy supply. Second The association, therefore, counting only the tons handled by a port, the TEN-T policy would risk ignoring the importance of several ports in the construction and strengthening of this chain supply.

In this regard, ESPO has expressed its support for the position taken last December 5 by the Council of the EU according to which, in addition to the current criterion of the volume of traffic according to which a seaport can be part of the comprehensive TEN-T network if handles passenger traffic of more than 0.1% of the total annual traffic handled by EU seaports or freight traffic which exceeds the same threshold, a port may be part of the global network even if "its total volume of goods (to bulk and not in bulk) exceeds 500,000 tons and its contribution to the diversification of energy supplies and accelerating the deployment of energy Renewables is one of the main activities of the port'. ESPO therefore hopes that this position, taken up by A number of amendments tabled are also part of the European Parliament compromise.

Of course it is possible, perhaps probable, that the transition from assess the eligibility of a port to be part of the network TEN-T based on a purely numerical calculation with considerations that may be questionable, at least in the form in which they have so far been have been placed, may generate friction, but this does not seem to Nor are politicians who urge such to be taken into account. considerations nor ESPO.