Port News: Port Commitee approves budget projection for 2017

With a press release pubblished a few minutes ago the Port System Authority of Center and North Thyrrenian Sea (AdSP) let us know that 2017 budget projection was approved: 18 votes in favor and 2 against, one of them from the Mayor of Civitavecchia. Pending the finalisation of the Management Committee (the nomination of Rome City Hall is pending) the works have been carried on by the Port Commitee.

We report below the full press release where you will find the statement of President Maria di Majo:

The Port Committee approved with 18 votes in favor and 2 against, the budget 2017 of the  Port System Authority of Center and North Thyrrenian Sea.

"I want to thank - the President of the AdSP Francesco Maria Di Majo declared - all the members of the Port Committee who have spoken to the seat, enabling the Council to approve the budget, thus leaving from temporary management in twelfths which has characterised with strong limitations for the administrative action of the institution, these first months of mandate. In short we will convene a meeting of the Management Committee, whether it will be possible, or again a Port Committee to approve the consumptive 2016 and other very important acts in order to create the necessary conditions to attract investment and bring new trades. In particular, the approval of certain concessions which are fundamental for economic development and employment of the port. I also hope that in the meantime we can finally seat also the Management Committee and then proceed to the appointment of the Secretary General".

The vote against of the mayor of Civitavecchia Antonio Cozzolino was due to a litigation which began with the municipality of Civitavecchia about the agreement of 2015.

"A dispute between two public administrations having, moreover, territorial contiguity - says President Di Majo - is never something to be hoped. The municipality of Civitavecchia asked us, with an injuction, the payment of 4 million euros deriving from the agreement signed on 15 July 2015. The investigation of the offices of AdSP, having heard the opinion of the state advocacy, has reached the conclusion that the agreement for this administration is not operating, presenting many critical legal and accounting issues, which shall bring into question the legality of the act. For this reason we provided to transfer 2 million euro included in the budget 2016 setting them aside in risk funds. I again invite the Mayor of Civitavecchia to work together to reach a new agreement, not considering the previous".

In short we will convene a meeting of the Management Committee, whether it will be possible, or again a Port Committee to approve the consumptive 2016 and other very important acts in order to create the necessary conditions to attract investment and bring new trades. [...] I again invite the Mayor of Civitavecchia to work together to reach a new agreement, not considering the previous.

Francesco Maria di Majo

President di Majo illustrated his intervention about the budget with the main objectives of the authority.

"Within this year - said Di Majo - we expect that the works of ferry and service docks are concluded, to then start the second batch of strategic works, with the purpose of splitting the port of Civitavecchia in two macro-areas: the historic port, with the opening in the south and the separation of the channel through a movable bridge connecting with the jetty, aimed to accommodate a marina for recreational boating and the maxi yachts and the northern area, dedicated to the traffic ro-ro, traffic of passengers, motorways of the sea, cruise, shipbuilding and comprising the quays for bulk cargo, containers, food industry and automotive industry".

Di Majo recalled the importance of the closure of the infringement procedure launched by the EU Commission in respect of the Italian Government in order to be able to restart the investigation with the EIB to obtain financing of 200 million euros to contribute, for about 50%, to the financing of the abovementioned infrastructure works in the port of Civitavecchia and works related to the implementation of the Master Plan of the port of Fiumicino.

The Port of Civitavecchia will be in 2017 still the first Cruise Ship Port in Italy (with more than 2.3 million cruise travellers), the second largest in Europe and the seventh in the world. It is consolidating its positions in the import of fruit and vegetables and it is also growing new traffic in out-bound of lading cars (about 300,000) toward North American markets.

RO/RO traffic is increasing, exploiting the motorways of the sea that see the Civitavecchia Port connected with regular services with the Mediterranean ports of Barcelona, Tunis, Malta, Termini Imerese, Palermo, Cagliari, Olbia, Porto Torres, Arbatax, Genoa, Bar, Gioia Tauro, Izmir and with the extra Mediterranean ports of Halifax, Baltimore, NewYork and Cancun.

The economy of the port of Gaeta will find a new development now that the dredging operations are ended, that will allow the activation of new transoceanic lines. The realization of new yards of quay (which will be operational in 2019) and the new access to the port area are also important.

As regards the development policy of the three ports, the AdSP intends to focus on the consolidation of the cruise industry, the development of trade and shipbuilding.

Particular attention, emphasized the president, will be also placed "on security, even through the optimization of the services provided by the investee company PAS; on defining, with RFI, the new railway system, with the aim to combine the needs of cargo with those of passengers, and for the actions of an environmental nature. In this respect this AdSP will undertake, in particular, in the promotion of the use of an alternative fuel for ships, constituted by the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and similarly in the promotion of the use of LNG/CNG buses circulating within the port area, and possibly the use of electric bus; in promoting the establishment of dry docks aimed to accommodate ship wrecks to demolish for recycling their components".

During 2017, we intend to launch a program for the promotion of the archaeological and architectural heritage of considerable historical and cultural value present in the port of Civitavecchia.