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Attempt
by the United States to adopt a
“black” and a “white” list
of unsafe and safe ports has alarmed
port operators worldwide.
In
an immediate reaction to the move
initiated by US, which is leading
war on terrorism worldwide in the
wake of the September 11 incident,
the European Sea Ports Organisation
has warned that the move could be
detrimental to global trade.
The
vice-chairman of the European Sea
Ports Organisation Giuliano Gallanti
said the EU must implement common
security standards or risk seeing
the creation of lists potentially
more distorting to trade flows than
any tariff or quota.
It
is understood that US officials have
begun to conduct audits of ports in
Europe to assess whether container
loading procedures comply with US
security requirements.
Applying
its own standards on security
measures on ships calling at its
ports, in recent weeks US
enforcement agencies found several
security breaches in safety and
security of containers entering the
country, including containers filled
with stowaways.
The
European Commission has already
considered drawing up a
communication setting out clear
policies to tighten port security
which could be based on the outcome
of this week’s debate at the
Maritime Safety Committee of the
International Maritime Organisation
in London.
EC
officials are set to visit a number
of ports to assess first hand what
measures are already in place and
what might need to be done.
The
commission and the port industry
appear united in wanting to prevent
any unilateral action by the US that
could lead to favoured ports gaining
a competitive advantage over others.
“The
concept of a port black list is
ridiculous,” said Gallanti.
“Just
think how much trade between Europe
and the US would be distorted if US
ports stopped accepting goods from
ports on the list,” he said.
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