Economic Analysis of European Seaport System

The ESPO - European Sea Ports Organization and ITMMA - University of Antwerp, published in mid-May report that should serve as a basis for discussion on the policy of the trans, authored by Professor Theo Notteboom. This study focuses extensively and innovatively on the ports we have in Europe, beginning with the container market, notes that the average load per TEU busy is 10 tons, not backing away from Portuguese ports to the rule and notes that the system European port handles about 90.7 million TEUs in 130 ports, 40 of which have capacity to accommodate service's intercontinental. In the United States / Canada there are only 35 ports that handle containers, of which 30 perform deepsea movement. From 2005 to 2007, the average rate of growth of the movement of containers in Europe was 10.5% the year compared to 6.8% in the period 1985-1995, 8.9% from 1995 to 2000 and 7% in 2000 2005. However, in 2008, 78 container ports in Europe grew by just 0.8% on average, due to international crisis. The movement of containers from the ports of the area between Le Havre and Hamburg accounted for nearly half of total turnover in European and Mediterranean ports and Britain's lost market share in this new millennium, reversing the trend that was visible at the end of century. In an analysis of port clusters, the study finds that the entry ports of the Baltic and Portuguese ports were those who had more modest growth, though Lisbon, Sines and Leixoes have tried to make efforts to expand their business by developing the role of transhipment, as exemplified by the MSC in Sines, in addition to having sought to enter the Spanish market to the area of Madrid, through the formation of rail corridors and the establishment of dry ports. The study also notes that after a long period of low market share of European Portuguese ports to stabilize around a 1.5% share in Europe. Among the ports winners are the Spanish ports of the Mediterranean, who have a quota at the European level of 4% in 1993 to 7.5% in 2008, once granted the extension of the "Blue Banana" which represents the center of increased activity in Europe. In general cargo, ports Portuguese also have a share of 1.5% at European level, although a share of 1.9% both in bulk liquids or solids in bulk. European ports in 2006 moved a billion tons of dry bulk, a thousand and six hundred million tons of bulk liquids, 319 million tons of general cargo, 447 million tons of cargo Roro and about 900 million tons of cargo containerized. The ports on the coast between Le Havre and Hamburg are the most important, they serve a dense hinterland in terms of population and industry, holding 48.4% of the European movement of containers, with 40.3 million TEU, 26.8% of dry bulk, with 269 million tons, 24.6% of bulk liquids, with 391 million tons, 19.5% of general cargo, with 62 million tons and 18.3% of the load Roro, with 82 million tonnes. Another question the study addresses are the maritime services at European ports, especially the growth in average size of container vessels feeders of 650 TEUs in 2005 to 850 TEU in 2015 and ships of the line North-South 3000 TEU in 2005 to 3500 TEU in 2015, and deepsea vessels from 4000 to 7000 TEU in 2005 to 6500 to 10,500 TEU in 2015. In this case, it is also interesting that the analysis is the study of the strategic ports of the main shipping lanes of containers, such as Maersk, which node is closest to Algeciras. This is a trend

towards concentration of the main lines in a few hub ports, but not so few that we create a dependency line, ie not putting all eggs in one basket, it is necessary to also manage the trade-off between reducing port costs and maintenance of "transit-times for customers.

Finally, no less interesting is the development of land access to ports, including rail, where you can see that the major European routes, FERRMED should not go through Portugal, but the south of Spain. Although FERRMED be a non-profit organization that was founded and officially registered in Brussels in 2004, is a multi-sectoral initiative that came out of the private sector to strengthen European competitiveness by promoting the so-called FERRMED Standards, improving links airports and ports with their hinterlands, the design of major rail freight link between Scandinavia and the western Mediterranean and more sustainable development by reducing pollution and climate change emissions. What this association may dictate very well come to be the rule for the European Union.

Source: FERRMED, www.ferrmed.com