By
Rebecca Gibson |
MedCruise has been chosen as a member of the European Commission’s (EC) European Ports Forum so it can help to ensure that cruise ports' interests are at the forefront of any new European port-related initiatives.
The European Ports Forum will exchange information on port-related policies and initiatives taken at commission level, member state level or by port industry stakeholders. It will also provide the EC with advice on initiatives to promote and support a uniform implementation of European Union Regulation 2017/352 establishing a framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports.
In addition, the European Ports Forum will provide advice, analysis, information and data to the EC to follow up and monitor the strategy and actions outlined in its communication: 'Ports: an engine for growth’. It will also provide advice, analysis, information and data to the EC on any other matters related to the various policies that affect maritime ports.
“We are looking forward to working with other experts representing the users of our cruise ports, providers of port services, port employees, port-cities, non-governmental organisations and not least European and Member States’ authorities in order to advance the role of cruise ports in developing those policy initiatives that would facilitate the sustainable growth of cruise ports in the Med and beyond,” said Thanos Pallis, MedCruise secretary general, who will represent the association at the European Ports Forum.
MedCruise is also an active member of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum, and in 2014, it joined with the European Sea Ports Organisation and other European cruise port associations to form the European Network of Cruise and Ferry ports.