Study on services in ports (II): cargo handling and passenger service

The port system is of great importance for the transport of cargo and passengers nationally and internationally, with implications for consumers and all productive sectors. This study examines the cargo handling and the passenger port services in Spain in order to identify efficiency and competition issues and make recommendations for improvement. It is recommended, first, to promote a transparent, efficient and pro-competitive institutional and regulatory framework, to strengthen the calculation of maximum charges and transparency, to establish incentives for efficiency, to update the Specific Terms and Conditions and to consider creating an independent supervisor. Second, for the cargo handling, it is recommended to facilitate access to the profession, to promote efficiency in the provision of workers through a regime based on direct hiring or temporary employment of workers, to promote automation, to strengthen the efficiency of the PIFs and to promote more competition in concessions. Finally, it is recommended to propose guidelines on the different models of operation of the passenger service.