Tariff Reform in the Port of Piraeus: a Practical Approach

This paper gives an overview of the main elements of the tariff reform that took place in the port of Piraeus during the last decade. The process of ‘structural’ revisions in many of the port's tariffs took place mainly between 1996 and 2001, which is the period during which, among other developments, container traffic through Piraeus more than doubled. Focusing on the above period and on container tariffs, the paper highlights the motivation for the changes and some of the practical difficulties associated with the process of port rate making in this major Mediterranean port. The tariff reform in some eight other categories that took place in that period is also briefly outlined, and some success and failure stories are described. Maritime Economics & Logistics (2005) 7, 356–381. doi:10.1057/palgrave.mel.9100143

EU Ports Policy: Where do we Go from Here?

With the advent of the ISPS code, an impressive array of regulations has been put in place to safeguard European Union (EU) ports from acts of terrorism and other unlawful acts. Also, the ‘Prestige’ tanker disaster has triggered important legislation that may affect ports, as regards safety and environmental protection. This paper takes a look at current port safety, security and environmental protection legislation, vis-à-vis the general policy thrust of the EU in the area of transport, and discusses the situation faced by the port sector and EU intermodal transport in the new regime. It is argued that we have a long way to go towards reaching policy goals as regards shifting cargo from land to sea. Challenges and opportunities are identified, and recommendations on how to improve the current situation are made. Maritime Economics & Logistics (2005) 7, 73–82. doi:10.1057/palgrave.mel.9100125

Impact of Port Investment on Efficiency and Capacity to Attract Traffic in Spain: Bilbao versus Valencia

The growth in intermodal transport has led to an increase in competition between ports. Other factors, such as the globalisation of the economy, European Union interest in integrating the port system into the Transeuropean Transport Network and the reform of the Spanish port system, have encouraged the Spanish Port Authorities to develop competitive strategies to extend their hinterlands. These strategies have often focused on improving port infrastructure in order to improve the efficiency of their services. In this paper, we analyse the extent to which investment expenditure has led to improvements in efficiency and how far this improved efficiency has increased the port's ability to attract traffic. To do so, we use DEA and study inter-port traffic redistribution from the land side. The analysis focused on the Ports of Bilbao and Valencia not only because they are very important in the Spanish port system but also because they both stand out for their investment expenditure, which has led to quite different results. We conclude by discussing the consequences of investment and port location for efficiency and the capacity to attract traffic, respectively. Maritime Economics & Logistics (2007) 9, 254–267. doi:10.1057/palgrave.mel.9100183