Port Competitiveness and the EU ‘Port Services’ Directive: the Case of Greek Ports

Abstract

The European Union (EU) institutions have discussed but failed to agree on a proposal for a ‘port services’ directive that would introduce free market access to port services provision. This paper examines the impact that this EU policy initiative could have on Greek ports. A reform towards port devolution has characterised the national port policy since 2002. The paper analyses the responses of the first post-reform CEOs to a questionnaire on the draft EU proposal, in order to establish whether this temporary EU policy failure would work in favour of Greek ports. The research findings suggest that the adoption of an EU regulatory framework would reinforce the quality of services provided by Greek ports and advance an essential restructuring of the Greek port system, on the condition that it takes into account the specific local characteristics. By linking these results to the existing literature on port competitiveness and the current structures of Greek ports, the paper explains why Greek port authorities have endorsed a positive approach to the general aims of the proposed directive.