During the annual conference of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), it congratulated North Sea Port (the Netherlands) for being recertified through EcoPorts with their Port Environmental Review System (PER).
North Sea Port Afloat highlights the 60 km-long cross-border port area that stretches from Vlissingen on the North Sea coast in the Netherlands some 32 km inland to Ghent in Belgium. As such, the port is a major central hub in Europe.
The cross-border port has been an EcoPorts member since 2020 and has received the PERS certificate for the third time.
Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO Secretary General, commented, “I would like to congratulate North Sea Port with its PERS recertification. NorthSeaPort is setting the bar high when it comes to environmental sustainability, marking it a guiding principle throughout its operations and strategy. We are happy to count this unique cross-border port among our PERS-certified ports.”
Tim Verhoeven, ESPO Senior Policy Advisor and EcoPorts Coordinator, said, “North Sea Port is recognized for its continuous efforts to enhance the port's environmental performance, showcasing leadership in sustainability collaboration across two countries (Netherlands and Belgium).”
The Port Environmental Review System (PER) is the only port-specific environmental standard.
The last five years have seen important increases in its recognition and membership, with 88 ports from 26 countries currently counting themselves as part of the EcoPorts Network and 27 ports holding PERS certification. Compliance with the EcoPorts’ PERS standard is independently assessed by LRQA Nederland B.V., and the certificate has a validity of two years. EcoPorts’ PERS is revised after the 2-year period, ensuring ports continuously meet the requirements.
ESPO represents the port authorities, associations, and administrations of the ports of 21 member states of the European Union and Norway at the EU political level. ESPO also has observer members in Albania, Iceland, Israel, Montenegro, Ukraine, and the UK.
For more information, visit ESPO here, and for EcoPorts’ PERS, click this link.
