Brussels, 26/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - In a report published on Wednesday 25 June, the European Commission acknoledges the efforts made by member states to develop single entry points - national single windows - in European ports and facilitate the administrative procedures for vessels entering and leaving them. Directive 2010/65 seeks to simplify procedures over a twelve-month period, so that information can be supplied electronically. Ways of transposing this directive, however, vary from one member state to the next so that the aim of European harmonisation by means of a single window has not been met.
All member states have launched initiatives, mostly building on existing platforms, technical solutions and standards. Thus national single windows may vary from one state to another, requiring the industry to develop interfaces to communicate with each of these systems, and resulting in higher implementation costs when the great benefit of single entry points is to cut the amount of time and costs created by administrative procedures.
The Commission is therefore requesting that the European coordination group draws up guidelines and technical specifications to ensure that the single entry points in European ports are harmonised. European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas is, nonetheless, encouraging member states to continue their efforts to ensure that the deadline is respected.
The report also evaluates the possibility of extending the simplification of administrative procedures to inland waterway and European vessels docking in third country ports.
The Commission has also announced that a proposal for an electronic goods manifest (eManifest) is to be developed by the summer. (MD)