Baltic Ports Organization’s schedule for 2019 is set
Baltic Ports Organization says its schedule for 2019 is set. The work plan includes, among other points, focusing on lobbying related to the CEF II budget for the time span of 2021-28 and issues linked to discharge of sewage from passenger ships.
The schedule for the upcoming year is already filled with multiple activities supporting BPO’s mission to be actively involved in the further development of the Baltic and European maritime sector. Retaining the high level of involvement in liaising with European legislative bodies and the organization of events focused on the most pressing matters impacting the industry remain a priority.
PBO event calendar will kick off with the annual BPO Lunch Debate, held at the seat of the European Parliament. The debate, organized in cooperation with Merja Kyllönen, Member of the EP, will focus on the recent status and future outlook (2021-2027) for the Baltic ports within the TEN-T policy. A key topic considering the policy’s upcoming revision.
BPO will switch to another important area of its activities, namely environmental issues, during a seminar organized as a part of the Transport Week 2019 conference, which will be held on 5-7 March in Gdynia. The seminar will focus on the challenge of monitoring of air pollution in ports. This topic corresponds with the current focus of BPO’s Environmental Working Group. Sustainability and environmental consciousness will remain at the center of our attention during a seminar further exploring the topic of LNG bunkering in Baltic ports. The event is part of BPO’s work within the Go LNG Project and set for the spring of 2019.
As is already custom, in September all roads will lead to the Baltic Ports Conference. BPO’s annual event, gathering its members and other experts from all over the industry, will take place on 4-6 September 2019 in Sweden. This year the conference will be hosted by the Ports of Stockholm and delve into the future of the port sector, examining the challenges ahead and innovations that will help drive the sector onward.
CEF II and the budget allocation for the time span of 2021-2018 remains one of BPO’s strongest areas of interest. While the benefits of CEF cannot be denied, the BPO will continue its lobbying work with the European legislative bodies in order to assure that the Baltic port industry gains sufficient access to the funding and therefore continue its continuous development.
An overview of BPO’s recommendations related to the CEF II can be found in the report „TEN-T policy and CEF projects in the Baltic - Experience from the past and recommendation for CEF2 (2021-28)”, available to members and selected industry experts. A further report, the „Best Practice Guidebook for Handling of Wastewaters in Ports”, prepared in cooperation with the Prüf- und Entwicklungsinstitut für Abwassertechnik at the RWTH Aachen e.V., is awaiting publication in Q1 2019. Sewage from passenger ships is a particularly important topic and will be further discussed during HELCOM’s meeting in Lisbon later this year. The Baltic Ports Organization is actively involved in the discussion, as it retains its observer status within HELCOM’s Maritime Group.
“We would also like you to continue following the BPO newsletter. The BPO started a new initiative, the „Green Fridays with BPO”, a bi-monthly online publication exploring the environmental practices that characterize Baltic ports as leaders in green solutions. It will be packed with interesting information and insider facts”, says the statement.