In the discussion on the European Maritime Single Window proposal, MEPs have issued an amendment introducing an EU level access point interface, in addition to the new harmonised interface that will be developed at European level for the national single windows (NSW). The ports of Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam urge the European Transport Committee to vote against the European Maritime Single Window, according to Port of Rotterdam’s statement.
The ports are against this amendment because they firmly believe that in the case where an additional EU level access point interface was to be introduced for ship reporting, that would result to delays and endangering safety and environmental protection in European seaports, since the already existent availability of reported data would be compromised.
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In ports, the data collected from ship reporting formalities is used by port authorities, aiming to assess the safety involved in facilitating a port call.
Additionally, the data is also used to support the safe conduct of navigation of ships in port areas and in accommodating mooring, berthing, servicing and other operational processes to protect the environment on a 24/7 basis.
That’s why, the three ports that are opposing to the amendment, are aspiring to keep the data as it already is. In the possibility of further extending the reporting chain at the access point at the EU level, the level of availability of operational safety data will be reduced and the risk of losing data will be enlarged.
The statement also highlights that the three ports are in favour of data standardization.
Finally, European ports support the general idea of the Commission’s proposal to work with enhanced and harmonized NSW’s as an EU backbone of the current system, keeping the new data access points and interface systems at a minimum, while making maximum use of proven access points such as the NSW and Port Community Systems.
