EU eyeing sea project to reduce trade costs

IT HAS emerged that Cork is to the forefront of an EU drive to create “Motorways of the Seas”, with the aim of reducing pollution and container transport costs.

A brief reference was made to the unique project yesterday, at the fifth day of a Bord Pleanála oral hearing into plans by the Port of Cork to build a €223 million container terminal at Ringaskiddy.

However, the port’s commercial manager, Captain Michael McCarthy, later told this newspaper that a business plan had been drawn up and co-operation with ports in France and Spain had been so positive, he would be presenting a paper on the project to the EU Commission next June.