News detail

STRONGER COOPERATION BETWEEN DUNKIRK URBAN COMMUNITY AND DUNKERQUE-PORT
29th november 2016

Since the Ports Reform in 2008, Dunkirk Urban Community and Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque have structured and strengthened their partnership to encourage local development. They have worked together to reinforce the influence and attractiveness of the port community, which generates jobs and added value for the Dunkirk area.

In the framework of this partnership, the Urban Community has contributed to the funding of certain investments to increase the port's competitiveness by improving its infrastructures for inland transport and services to clients. Some examples are the border inspection post, the Huttes railway line and the roads to the terminals of the Western Port. Joint actions have also been undertaken to boost the use of alternative transport modes: shuttle services by rail to the Paris basin and by waterway to Lille have both been launched successfully. There has been commercial prospecting both in France and internationally, particularly in Asia, as well as lobbying that has led to changes in the procedure of VAT charging on imports. And of course, major projects such as the LNG terminal, and crises such as the shutdown of refining at TOTAL, have been managed in close collaboration. These are just a few illustrations of the enormous amount of work done since 2008.

The two partners now intend to amplify the dynamic created by this stronger cooperation, taking it into a new phase based on their respective guidance documents: the Port Authority with its Strategic Plan and the Intermunicipal Council with its Community Plan.

Following the three working guidelines of economic development, environmental protection and regional dynamic, the new agreement for the 2016-2020 period was signed on Thursday 24 November 2016 by Patrice Vergriete, Mayor of Dunkirk and President of Dunkirk Urban Community, and Stéphane Raison, CEO of Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque. In this document the two partners agree to combine their endeavours to reconquer markets in the Hauts-de-France region, to enlarge the hinterland of the port of Dunkirk eastwards and towards Greater Paris, to encourage the emergence of new businesses in the green industry and energy sector, and, in line with the Local Employment Convention initiated by the Urban Community, to meet the challenge of logistics development and the consolidation of container traffic.

• View news in this topic