FERRY PORTS

By | 2020 Newsletter week 38 | No Comments

Port of Calais No Longer Wants to Pay

The port of Calais CEO Jean-Marc Puissesseau says he no longer wants to pay the cost of checking lorries bound for the U.K. for migrants.

This costs the French Channel port EUR 8 million a year.

In a letter to the French prime minister he asked the government to review the Le Touquet agreements (*), and “send the bill to the UK, which is now out of the EU.”

(*) Juxtaposed controls, a reciprocal arrangement between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom whereby border controls take place before boarding the ferry, rather than after disembarkation.

FERRY PORTS

By | 2020 Newsletter week 5 | No Comments

Brexit Affected Port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel

Port of Calais had a turbulent year 2019, with the following reasons:

  • Brexit
  • A strike from the customs
  • Weak GBP versus strong EUR = less tourism

Key figures:

  • -4.6% freight (1.8 million units), which means 90,000 less trucks.
  • -7.0% pax (8.5 million)
  • -8.7% cars (1.5 million)
  • -6.0% coaches

Brexit also affected Getlink (Channel Tunnel)

Key figures:

  • -6.0% freight (1.6 million units)
  • +1.0% Eurostar pax (11 million)
  • -2.0% cars (2.6 million)

Market share for trucks:

  • 46.0% Calais
  • 40.4% tunnel

IN THE MEDIA

By | 2019 Newsletter week 3 | No Comments

Cross-Channel Firms Challenge UK Brexit Ferry Decisions

The CEOs of Eurotunnel and Port of Calais have objected to the emergency contracts awarded by the UK government to Brittany Ferries, DFDS and Seaborne Freight to provide additional ro-ro capacity in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, threatening to take legal action.

French State Has To Compensate Port Of Calais

By | 2018 Newsletter week 21 | No Comments

The administrative court of Lille (France) has condemned the French State to pay €480,000 to the port of Calais. The port has suffered losses due to the non-intervention of the police to end the blockage of the ferry terminal by MyFerryLink strikers in 2015.
The police said it did not intervene because of the migrant crisis at the same time.

Port Of Calais Claims EUR 1.8 From French State

By | 2018 Newsletter Week 17 | No Comments

Based on the loss made by the two-month strike of MyFerryLink staff in 2015, the Chamber of Commerce and the Port of Calais went to court. They demand France to pay the sum of EUR 1.8 million to compensate for the losses, reports Nord Littoral (in French).

They also accuse the State and its police forces to act differently when incidents happen with the Eurotunnel. As soon as someone tries to block the Chunnel police forces are intervening immediately. In stark contrast, Port of Calais was blocked regularly during two months, and nothing happened to prevent this.

SHORT NEWS

By | 2017 Newsletter week 43 | No Comments
  • In France the national financial prosecutor’s office recently opened an investigation regarding the terms of takeover of the SNCM. Searches were carried out at the Office of Transport of Corsica and the companies of actors related to the purchase of SNCM. The prosecutor tries to understand what exactly happened when SNCM was taken over. More in particular, the question is why Corsica Linea promised to sell two ro-pax ferries –PAGLIA ORBA and MONTE D’ORO– for the price of EUR 10 million to the CTC (territorial collectivity of Corsica)
  • UECC’s ro-ro BORE BAY is being chartered by GNV for the Genova – Civitavecchia – Naples – Palermo – Malta service.
  • Intershipping charters ro-ro MAESTRO SUN for the Algeciras-Tanger Med route, replacing STENA CARRIER which is now working for CMA CGM. Intershipping also acquired double-ender VÄSTERVIK. She is going to be refurbished in Perama before going to the Strait of Gibraltar. Her new name will be MED STAR.
  • Lack of staff in the Port of Calais. That’s the reason for the conflict between the unions and the management, which started on September 25 with blockades and walkouts. During a normally scheduled meeting the management agreed with the finding of the unions, and will look at solutions. So far no further strikes are planned.
  • MOBY DADA and RHAPSODY are still on charter to the Spanish Government for the housing of police officers in Barcelona. MOBY DADA’s hull shows a big Tweety Pie, known from the Warner Bros. cartoons. In the meantime the yellow canary has become a symbol for the Catalan separatists, something that is not appreciated by Warner Bros. On social media you will find the hashtag  #FreePiolin. Piolin is the Spanish name for Tweety.