Seehäfen als Gateways im zusammenwachsenden Europa

Abstract

Technological and organisational innovations in maritime transport and cargo handling, such as the increasing size and specialisation of ships, containerisation and the construction of spacious terminals have led to substantial changes in the European cityports. Some of the older handlingfacilities and storage-areas are no longer operating and thus have opened the possibility of waterfront redevelopment. At the same time, new deep water ports for bulk handling, as well as extended industrial sites have had a negative impact on the coastal zones. Due to ongoing European integration, the opening of the former socialist countries, decreasing border controls and increasing globalisation of the world economy, the transport chain can now be organised more efficiently through taking advantage of new logistic concepts and modern communication technology. Tradional links to the hinterland and the gateway-functions of the ports are becoming less significant, since transport can now also be organised from new inland depots. While t he megaports function as hubs of international transport, the secondary ports are today only linked through feeder services. Also, the increasingly important fixed links and the ro-ro-ferries, are now limiting their operations to through-traffic, which has weakened the traditional port activities significantly. The following paper will provide an overview of the situation of the European ports in the early 1990s and will illustrate the interconnections within the Baltic region, the Mediterranean and the North Sea. Taking cargo handling and ferry links as a basis, a typology of the ports will be presented and finally the future prospects of the outstandi ng gateways amongst the ports shall be discussed.