Plan to liberalise EU port services set for defeat

The European Parliament was all but certain to reject plans to liberalise port services across the European Union after EU legislators today called the proposals dangerous and unlikely to increase competition.

The draft bill, tabled by the EU’s executive commission, proposes opening cargo-handling to competition, ending the current situation in many European ports where loading and unloading is run by monopoly handlers.

If passed, the bill would allow ship crews to handle cargo themselves on some EU routes. The vote is scheduled for tomorrow.

Politicians also criticised a part of the bill which envisages opening pilotage services up to competition, saying this would compromise safety of European ports.

Yesterday, dock workers clashed with police during a march through Strasbourg and smashed windows at the European Parliament building in a violent protest over the proposals.

Strikes and work slowdowns also disrupted cargo-handling at several major ports as trade unions pressed their opposition to the bill.