The annual conference of the European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO) will be held this year in Sopot, the elegant Polish seaside resort town which is located in between the ports of Gdansk and Gdynia. The event will take place May 10-11, 2012

PortEconomics co-directors Theo Notteboom and Thanos Pallis will join port authorities and conference delegates, participating at the round-table discussion on port privatisation on the second day of ESPO 2012. 

As the economic crisis is pushing some countries to sell of ports and other vital infrastructures the round table will discuss wether this a trend that is here to stay and would full privatisation be in the interest of ports and the trade that they serve. Based on the experience of past and ongoing cases in the United Kingdom and Greece, a panel of experts including port authorities, trade unions and terminal operators will share the podium with Theo and Thanos to discuss the costs and benefits of port privatisation.



The conference theme addresses port financing and investment, the most important enabling factors behind port development. By comparing financial trends affecting the port sector, regional investment opportunities and regulatory issues related to public private partnerships, concessions and financial capabilities of port authorities, the conference aims to gather stimulating food for thought in challenging economic times.

Acting at his capacity as Secretary General of the ESPO, PortEconomics associate member Patrick Verhoeven, will present the ESPO 'Port Manifesto', whereas Chris Wooldridge, also associate member will present the results of the PPRISM (Port Performance Indicators - Selection and Measurement) project conducted by several partners of the PortEconomics initiative,

The ESPO 2012 conference will also devote considerable attention to the future EU 'ports package' that the European Commission recently announced and Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas has kindly agreed to give the closing keynote speech.

A full programme, all practical details, and registration details are available @ the Conference webpage.