Brussels, 25/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Although the total weight of goods handled by European maritime ports was up by 2% in 2011, the number of passengers fell by 4%. On 20 March, Eurostat published a study on port activity for goods and passengers in the EU.
Rotterdam was the biggest European port in terms of freight in 2011 (370 million tonnes weight of goods handled, down 6% compared with 2010), followed by Antwerp (169 million tonnes, up 5% on 2010 figures ). Dover, with 13 million passengers, was the busiest port in terms of the number of passengers embarking and disembarking in 2011. Compared with 2010, the weight of goods handled increased by 2% in 2011. The United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Germany account for just over two-thirds of the total weight of goods handled. Ports in Spain (up 6%) and Germany (up 7%) are driving European growth with their respective increases in freight volume.
Compared with 2010, the number of passengers in European ports decreased by 4% in 2011. The number has fallen steadily from a peak of 414 million passengers in 2007 to 385 million in 2011. Italian and Greek ports are suffering most, with falls of 7% and 8% respectively). They still account for two thirds of passenger traffic, however, together with Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Spain. (MD/transl.fl)