Brussels, 23/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - Shipowners are disappointed by the lack of ambition displayed by the Transport Council on the subject of the port package. On Thursday 23 October, they called on the parliamentary rapporteur, Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany), to reintroduce the concepts struck out by European ministers at the beginning of the month. The European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) expressed its regret that ministers had agreed to exclude handling and passenger services from the initiative for opening up the market (as proposed by the Commission) and had also left it up to member states whether they should exclude pilotage or not. If the rapporteur does decide to adjust the package, it will not be until 2015 because Fleckenstein has frozen the dossier until next spring. Overall, given the fiasco of the port packages presented by the European Commission, ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven is recommending “surgical” precision with the way in which they proceed in the area of port legislation in certain specific areas, instead of proceeding by way of the transversal packages covering different aspects. (MD)