3rd Regional Information and Training Session ECOPORTS

23.06.2004

On June 15, 2004 Gdansk was playing host of the 3^rd Regional Information and Training Session held under the Ecoports Project, the Port of Gdansk Authority SA and the Gdansk Technical University were acting as partners to the project and providing substantial assistance in organizing the session.

Co-financed by the European Commission under the 6^th R&D Framework Programme, the Ecoports Project is an initiative of the European ports which recognized the environmental protection as a vital area of their activity. The major targets of the project implementation comprise development of environmental management tools (SDM Pro, PERS, DSS, V-EMS) dedicated to seaports, searching for best praxis regarding environmental issues (Ecoports Database) and developing Case Studies concerning major areas of interest (such as dredging work, noise, port-town relations). The Project additionally aims at the dissemination of its outcome among the largest possible number of European ports, thus the co-operating partners remain under the obligation to promote regional sessions introducing the environmental management tools developed by Ecoports.

The prevailing subject matter of the third Gdansk-based session was PERS (Port Environmental Review System) i.e. the environmental management system and its certification across the ports. The Session gathered a number of 26 participants that represented not only port authorities (Gdynia, Szczecin-Swinoujscie, Elblag, Hel) and port operating companies (Bulk Cargo - Port of Szczecin, Port of Gdansk Cargo Logistics, PSS Port Polnocny), but also representatives of the maritime administration (Maritime Office in Gdynia), as well as local governments (Municipality of Gdansk).

The participants in the 3^rd Regional Ecoports Session held in Gdansk deemed the meeting successful and, while saying thank you to the promoters of the session for extending their invitation, announced that they were willing and able to take part in a subsequent event of the sort. The meeting resulted in obtaining extensive information on the environmental management systems, as well as the Polish legislation in terms of port-related businesses. Furthermore, the Session enabled the exchange of experience among those attending the event, which also comprised one of the major goals of promoting the Session.