May 2018
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The EU working party responsible for advising the EU Brexit negotiators paid a visit to the port of Antwerp on Monday 28 May. The working party is made up of representatives of the 27 EU countries, the European Commission and the European Council. During their visit to the Border Inspection Post and the Antwerp Gateway Terminal the European diplomats learned about the various procedures involved in importing and exporting goods in and out of the European Union. The aim of the visit was to find out the practical implications of the various Brexit scenarios.
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In response to the importance of the French market and to further expand its efforts in this region, Antwerp Port Authority has appointed a second local representative in France. As of 1 May Dominique Mathern represents the port of Antwerp for the local market in France. Together with Marc Delbeke he will be responsible for further developing and expanding the port's presence in that country.
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Safety & Security is one of the five strategic priorities of Antwerp Port Authority. Its Safety & Security department recently took part in a large-scale, multidisciplinary emergency exercise under the name "PortEx2018" in collaboration with the emergency services of the Governor of Antwerp Province.
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The transition to a circular, low-carbon economy is a priority for the Port Authority. The first step is to define a CO2 reduction path for the period until 2050. In the meantime the Port Authority is intensifying its efforts towards sustainable energy by among other things building new wind turbines and large-scale facilities for LNG bunkering.
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A "little tree" made of steel was recently erected on the banks of the Scheldt bearing a port haiku by the local artist and writer Geert De Kockere. It marks the spot where in centuries past an actual tree ('t Boomke) pointed the way to mariners as they approached the port or left it once more.
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The first Silk Road train bound exclusively for Antwerp arrived on 12 May. The freight train that left the Chinese port city of Tangshan on 26 April was officially welcomed in the port of Antwerp. This direct train link between China and Antwerp forms part of the Chinese transnational "Belt & Road Initiative" with which China seeks to revive the ancient trading routes between Asia and Europe.
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This month the port community is taking part in an awareness-raising campaign entitled "Plastic-free May" with the aim of reducing superfluous use of plastic in our society. For the port this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the balance between Antwerp as the main polymer hub in Europe and our active participation in the Zero Pellet Loss project.
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Antwerp Port Authority has presented its new Business Plan. "In today's fast-changing world we aim to be a safe home port and act as a lever for all those who see opportunities and embrace challenge," says CEO Jacques Vandermeiren. "Our main advantages for this are our great adaptability and our strong focus on innovation and digitisation. We constantly strive for sustainable added value, while assuming our responsibility towards society."
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A collaboration agreement was signed today, Thursday 24 May, in the port of Antwerp between on the one side Port of Antwerp International (PAI), the consultancy and investment subsidiary of Antwerp Port Authority, and APEC, its maritime training centre, and on the other Gambia Ports Authority which manages the port of Banjul in The Gambia. The collaboration, which will mainly take the form of training and consulting, underlines the leading role that the port of Antwerp plays in West Africa.