NEW EPOC Conference, Brussels 2006

The NEW EPOC story is a good news story…. Our port-cities have emerged from a period of crisis brought on by the devastating effect of changes in global patterns of trade, the worldwide integration of markets and the impact of modern information and communication technologies.

This is the message NEW EPOC partners presented to Dr Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, at a high level conference held in Brussels from 7-8 June 2006. It was the first public opportunity for Commissioner Borg to present his Green Paper on Maritime Policy, published by the European Commission on 7 June. Commissioner Borg welcomed the contribution of NEW EPOC to EU policy making and outlined the areas where port cities should contribute to the Maritime Policy debate. The NEW EPOC partners presented him with a first response to the Green Paper, outlining their own policy recommendations for future EU support for port-cities.

On 8 June, a high level round table on the future for port cities was held with MEPs and regional and local politicians at the European Parliament, hosted by Joseph Muscat MEP and with the participation of Peter Skinner MEP and Sharon Bowles MEP.

The conference marks the conclusion of the 3-year NEW EPOC project which has undertaken an in-depth analysis of the impact of global changes on 10 European port-cities, including the port-cities of Bilbao, Bremen, Cherbourg, Gijón, Kaliningrad, Pasaia, Patras, Southampton, Trieste, and Taranto.

NEW EPOC – New Economic Prosperity for Port Cities – has been funded by the European Union’s Interreg IIIc programme. The project, involving a multi-agency partnership from across the EU, has identified trends and new developments affecting the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of port-cities. It has also provided public decision-makers in port-cities with a tool-set of information, expertise, guidelines and good practice examples to assist in developing policies and practices to manage economic transition and city regeneration.

“Globalisation, technological developments, increasing competition and climate change are some of the major challenges that currently affect all port-cities regardless of size or location. In dealing with these challenges, our port-cities have learnt to adjust to the conditions of the 21st century. They have become the European laboratory for the modern city in a globalised knowledge society.”

For further information about NEW EPOC and a full set of documentation, please browse www.new-epoc.net/