Brussels, 02/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - The coordinator for transport policy of the Socialist Group of the European Parliament, the Germany Willi Piecyk, launched a scathing attack on the new proposed directive to liberalise port services in the EU. It is worth noting that the European Commission presented this new proposal in October 2004, one year after the European Parliament rejected an initial proposal on the subject (EUROPE of 14 October 2004). “The new proposed directive continues to ignore the real needs of ports and those who work in them”, said the MEP in a press release published after meetings were held with various associations working within the sector, including Espo, which represents European port authorities and administrations, the European Transport Federation (ETF) and the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA). Some of them had already expressed their dissatisfaction when the new proposal was adopted last October (see above-mentioned bulletin). Mr Piecyk feels that this new development “contradicts the maritime security policy” of the EU and will lead to social dumping. Furthermore, “investments in ports will suffer under this bureaucratic approach”, he continued, calling on the current Commissioner for Transport, Jacques Barrot”, to shelve this plan, which he inherited from his predecessor, Ms Loyola de Palacio. “Then we could think about the best way to draw up a realistic policy for European ports”, said the German Social Democrat.