European meetings in Gdansk23.10.2002 On October 17 and 18, this year Gdansk was playing host to two important meetings of European offices and organization invited by Polish ports.  The first day, the Mercure Hevelius hotel was playing host to "Workshop on Seaport Policy" organized by TAIEX (Technical Assistance Information Exchange Office at the European Commission Directorate General for Enlargement) in co-operation with the European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport and ESPO (European Sea Port Organization). Major objectives of the TAIEX Office involved technical assistance and consulting in terms of adjusting law regulations of the candidate states to Community Acquis in the European Union, as well as making available to those countries information on the EU legislation and supporting the monitoring of adjustment process.
 The participants to the seminar received a welcome address from the President of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA - Mr. Andrzej Kasprzak acting on behalf of the Port Authorities of Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Swinoujscie. The seminar was chaired by Mr. Wolfgang Elsner representing the Directorate General TREN (Trans-European Energy Network). One of the issues discussed during the seminar concerned the EU directive on free access to the port services market and the related issue of competitiveness within and among the ports. A number of addresses were made by seaports representatives of the candidate states - Poland, Lithuania and Malta; representatives of European forwarders and shippers. Another focus of the seminar included ports ownership patterns, as well as forming a common transportation policy and its implementation in the European seaports.
 At the end of a hard day's work the delegates accepted an invitation from the Polish seaports to enjoy a gala dinner reception party at the Central Maritime Museum in Gdansk.
 The following day, the new Gdansk City Hall hosted the ESPO General Assembly. The organization gathers European seaports and acts on behalf of their businesses in relation to the EU policy. The delegates were received and welcomed by the Head of the Forecasts and Development Office at the Port of Gdansk - Mr. Ryszard Wocial. The Assembly has repeatedly appointed Mr. David Whitehead the Chairman of ESPO. In the course of the meeting, achievements of each of the ESPO commissions were presented and development plans of the organization discussed in view of the upcoming EU enlargement. Additionally, a number of multi-medial presentations of Polish seaports were made.
 Upon the end the General Assembly the delegates were invited to a farewell dinner in the Old Town of Gdansk. The last item on the agenda was a tour around the Port of Gdansk that provided the guests with the opportunity to find out about the port's achievements and its development potential.
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