#Brexit - An Irish ports industry body has called on the European Commission to shore up measures against the adverse impact of Brexit on marine passenger and freight transport between Ireland and the continent.
The commission is proposing to realign the TEN-T network’s North Sea Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, which currently links Ireland to France via the UK land bridge.
The EC proposal would amend the corridor to link Dublin Port and the Port of Cork directly with core ports in Belgium and the Netherlands.
While the Irish Ports Association (IPA) says it welcomes this approach, it also believes that “additional measures” are needed “because of the adverse impact of Brexit on Ireland’s peripherality”.
“It is vital for all three of Ireland’s core ports and at least one French port to be included in these new maritime links,” said IPA chair Des Whelan.
“Importantly also, existing routes between Ireland and France are between comprehensive ports in both countries, and it is important that the Commission finds a way to include these strategically important comprehensive ports in the North Sea Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, even if they don’t fit neatly into the TEN-T framework.”
Whelan added: “The challenges facing Ireland and northern France as a result of Brexit are unprecedented, and sea port connections for direct routes between Ireland and France are more important now than ever before.
“It would be also be beneficial for Ireland to be linked directly to the Atlantic Core Corridor. Ireland is one of three member states that have no road or rail links into the internal market and, instead, have to rely on sea transport.”
Whelan said the IPA also calls for the European Commission to “explore new ways of supporting Ireland’s smaller ports in their efforts to help them to adapt to Brexit”.
