Almost 200 delegates attended the Conference, representing all the areas involved in maritime transport, particularly, Short Sea Shipping.

The Shortsea Promotion Center Spain, in co-operation with the European Shortsea Network (ESN), organized the European Shortsea Conference 2016 in Barcelona.

This Conference is held annually, each edition in a different country and is organized by the corresponding national Shortsea Promotion Center. In previous years, the Conference has taken place in Dublin 2012, Paris 2013, Lisbon 2014, Copenhagen 2015 and now in Barcelona 2016.

The conference was focused on Northern Europe/Atlantic and East & West Mediterranean short sea shipping markets. The event will put a spotlight on market demand and environmental regulations, comprising also a training on new intermodal logistics with the use of short sea shipping and a session on European transport policy and its financing.

The event was co-hosted by Barcelona Port and it had the support of the following members of the Association: Grimaldi, GNV, Flota Suardíaz and Neptune Lines.

Furthermore, it had the following sponsors: Bureau Veritas, Gas Natural, Trasmediterranea and Wärtsilä.

The Conference was opened by Jose Llorca, President of Spanish State Ports; Pere Padrosa, General Director of Transport and Mobility of Generalitat de Catalunya; Sixte Cambra,  President of Barcelona Port Authority; Manuel Carlier, President of SPC Spain; Hans K. Haram, ESN Representative; and Enrique Soravilla, President of TRANSCALIT/CETM.

The Conference put the focus on the main priorities of Short Sea Shipping and it was divided into the following five sessions.

  1. Short Sea Shipping markets by geographical areas;
  2. Short Sea Shipping demand;
  3. The European environmental rgulations;
  4. Transport policies and financing; and
  5. Training activities.

PROGRAMM http://www.shortsea.es/images/European_conference/Programme/160928_Programme_SHORTSEA16.pdf

source: http://www.shortsea.info/2100-news-european-shortsea-conference-2016-in-barcelona-.html