ESPO 2013 Conference. PROGRAMME
Preparations are well underway for the 10th edition of the ESPO conference, which will be held in Varna on 30-31 May. The conference programme is now as good as final.
Under the overall theme ‘Port Development through Cooperation – Towards new Synergies’, participants will be able to engage in thought-provoking discussions on infrastructure corridor development, marketing of port regions and international strategies of port authorities. The programme also includes expert views on the economic outlook for Europe, shipping and ports. Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas and EMSA Executive Director Markku Mylly are set to give keynote speeches and the second conference day is entirely devoted to EU policy for ports. Participants will at least get a ‘sneak preview’ – if not a full ‘première’ – of the new proposals of the European Commission. The actual conference will be preceded by a special interest seminar on Black Sea port development.
«Last week I met with the Bulgarian Minister of Transport and the Regional Governor of Varna who both gave their full support to our conference», – said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, «With the conference team, we also visited the facilities at the Melia Grand Hotel and the venues for the social events. I must say I am really impressed by the efforts our Bulgarian hosts are making to welcome the European port community to Varna».
ESPO 2013 CONFERENCE. Melia Grand Hermitage Hotel- Varna, 30-31 May 2013. PROGRAMME
Day 1: Thursday 30 May 2013
08:00 Registration and welcome coffee
08:30 Special Interest Seminar: regional cooperation in the Black Sea and beyond
Opening and welcome: Dian Dimov, Chairman, Black and Azov Sea Ports Association / Executive Director, Port of
Burgas
Trends in Black Sea port development: Containers: Eero Vanaale, Consultant, Drewry. Cruise: Mikhail Sokolov, First Deputy General Manager, Odessa Commercial Sea Port and
Stoicho Dimov, Head of Marketing and European Integration, Port of Burgas. LNG bunkering: Emil Arolski, Project Manager ‘LNG in Baltic and Black Sea Ports’
Are Black Sea ports ready to face the future ? Panel discussion with: Alexander Atanassov, Country & Sales Manager, Maersk Bulgaria Ltd; Olena Losevska, Attorney at Law, InterLegal Ukraine; Sofia Neirynck, CEO, Porteco; Jean-Paul Siccard, Senior Supply Chain Manager Essential Chemicals, Solvay Eastern Europe / Balkans / Russia & CIS countries / Middle East & Egypt. Moderator: Patrick Uyttendaele, Director, MTBS
11:00 Coffee
11:15 Opening session ESPO Conference
Welcome: Santiago Garcia-Milà, Chairman, ESPO; Stefan Neychev, Chairman, Bulgarian Port Infrastructure Company
Opening keynote speeches: Kristian Krastev, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Republic of Bulgaria; Kosta Bazitov, Regional Governor, Regional Administration Varna, Republic of Bulgaria
Economic outlook for Europe, shipping and ports: Sylviane Delcuve, Senior Economist, BNP Fortis Bank (Europe); Prof Dr Theo Notteboom, University of Antwerp ITMMA (ports); Q&A
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Perspectives on co-operative synergies (parallel sessions)
| Session A: Integration of ports in infrastructure corridors |
Session B: Marketing and promotion of port regions |
Session C: International strategies of port authorities |
|
Chair: Isabelle Ryckbost, Director, European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) Introduction: Ports & TEN-T Corridors Cases: Port-Cities Greening Corridors Great Axis Rail Networks Motorways of the Sea |
Chair: Dr Athanasios Pallis, Associated Professor, University of the Aegean - Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport Cases: Marketing West-Mediterranean Ports Flanders Port Area Promoting cruise in the Мediterranean |
Chair: Larissa van der Lugt, Senior Researcher Port Economics and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam Cases: Port of Rotterdam International Port of Antwerp International Reflections and debate: Prof Dr Michaël Dooms, Prof Elisaveta Kalinova, |
15:30 Tea
16:00 Port development through regional cooperation: the CEO Perspective
Roundtable discussion with: Eddy Bruyninckx, CEO, Port of Antwerp; Paolo Costa, President, Port of Venice; Ramón Gomez-Ferrer Boldova, General Manager, Port Authority of Valencia; Hervé Martel, CEO, Port of Le Havre; Moderator: Prof Dr Theo Notteboom, University of Antwerp ITMMA.
17:00 Closing keynote speech: Markku Mylly, Executive Director, European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
17:30 End of the first conference day
19:30 Departure for conference dinner at Kabakum Resort
Day 2: Friday, 31 May 2013
08:30 Welcome coffee
09:00 EU Ports Policy – setting the scene
Port performance indicators: Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General, ESPO
Administrative simplification in ports: Alan Long, Chairman, EPCSA
Port labour in Europe: Prof Dr Eric Van Hooydonk, Portius / University of Ghent
10:00 EU Ports Policy – presentation and evaluation of the new proposals
Interactive session with representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and EU stakeholder organisations.
Chair: Prof Dr Hercules Haralambides, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Philippe De Backer, Member of the European Parliament; Jean-Eric Paquet, Director European Mobility Network, DG Move; Dimitrios Theologitis, Head of Unit Ports Policy, DG Move; Alfons Guinier, Secretary General, ECSA
12:00 Closing keynote speech
Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission (invited)
12:30 Closing of the ESPO 2013 Conference
Santiago Garcia-Milà, Chairman, ESPO; Magnus Kårestedt, CEO, Port of Gothenburg, Host of the ESPO 2014 Conference
12:45 Departure to Varna Passenger Terminal for Lunch
14:00 – 16:00 Visit to the Port of Varna
Adapted from ESPO