1. Supports the Commission’s intention to assist European ports in their efforts to modernise while respecting the environment, through guidelines which provide incentives rather than attempting to impose harmonisation through regulations that would be difficult to implement in view of the very heterogeneous practices of European ports; hopes that such guidelines will result in greater legal certainty for ports, enabling them to make the necessary investments to cope with the expected rise in maritime transport; calls, therefore, on the Commission and Member States to promote cooperation between European ports; stresses in this connection the role which p ...[+++]orts play in the regional economy of their hinterland; in this regard, underlines that the harmonious development of ports is a key element of the EU’s integrated maritime policy;

This directive on port security, together with Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 on ship and port facility security, provides the necessary framework for protecting the whole chain of maritime transport logistics (from the ship to the port via the ship/port interface and the whole port area) against the risk of unlawful attacks on EU territory.

"managing body of the port" or "port authority" (hereinafter referred to as "managing body of the port") means a body which, whether or not in conjunction with other activities, has as its objective under national law or regulations the administration and management of the port infrastructures, and the coordination and, where appropriate, the control of the activities of the operators present in the port or port system concerned.

To establish conditions for fair competition among and within European ports and port systems, that Directive should be applied to all ports or port systems belonging to the trans-European port network.

First: we had to set ports, inland ports, sea ports and intermodal terminals in the right context within a text on trans-European networks, which is why we said they must be ports and inland ports which are connected to the hinterland, which form part of a network, and not individual ports, which may be very nice but which have no trans-European significance.

The proposal for a Directive on market access to port services aims to establish more comprehensive rules regarding market access to port services through competition, in ports with international traffic, whilst taking on-shore safety and environmental protection requirements into consideration, public service obligations, and the diversity of the ports in question.