The efforts made by the Ministry of Finance and Public Function, in coordination with State Ports and the Port Authority of Santander (APS), have resulted in the achievement of 56.4 million euros from the European Brexit Adjustment Fund for the Port of Santander.
This has been announced by the Secretary General of Air and Maritime Transport, Benito Núñez; the Deputy Director General of Urban Development of the Directorate General European Funds of the Ministry of Finance and Public Function, Esteban Molina; the President of Ports of Estrado, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, in an event held in the Port of Cantabria in which the delegate of the Government, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, along with other authorities, has also participated.
During this event, the president of the APS, César Diaz, thanked both the Ministry of Finance and Public Function and the State Ports for their efforts and assured that “we are very proud to have been able to adapt in record time to Brexit by executing the necessary works, increasing security against intrusions together with the State Security Forces and Bodies and adapting our operations to the new demands”.
For his part, the President of State Ports, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, has pointed out that the receipt of this aid demonstrates the importance of the state-owned port system as "strategic infrastructure for Spain's foreign trade and reinforces the commitment of our ports to security, sustainability and innovation."
European Brexit adjustment funds are intended to provide support to the Member States, regions and sectors most affected by the adverse consequences of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. Specifically, they are aimed at financing specific measures of the Member States aimed at helping the companies, economic sectors, workers, regions and local communities that have suffered the impact of Brexit.
The United Kingdom is the main trading partner of the Port of Santander, accounting for 20% of its total traffic and 34% of export traffic. In fact, the economic impact on APS revenues from traffic with the United Kingdom is around 23% of the total income from fees and fees applied to ship stopovers.
The event, in addition to the representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Transport, as well as the President of State Ports, the APS and the delegate of the Government, also attended the President of Cantabria, María José Saénz de Buruaga; the Mayor of Santander, Gema Igualada, and the Councillors of Industry and Development of the Cantabrian Executive, Eduardo Arasti and Roberto Media.
Executed actions
Among the main measures that the Port of Santander has had to adopt to adapt to Brexit are:
· Adaptation of the ferry terminal, operated by Brittany Ferries, with the renovation of section 1-4 of the Maliaño Quays; the construction of a new floating ramp for road traffic and the campa to have the necessary space for operations.
· Actions to prevent intrusion into ships destined for the United Kingdom such as the installation of electronic systems of surveillance and control of the goods; security enclosures; or the contracting of private surveillance.
· Customs and passenger control measures originating in the United Kingdom such as the construction of a customs checkpoint; temporary facilities for the execution of border controls, customs controls and para-customs controls; final customs control facilities at the North Bank pier; or the construction of a new temporary building for border inspections.
· Capacity compensation actions in the central area of Raos after dedicating port spaces to the needs of Brexit. Among them, the completion works of Raos Pier 9, a ramp for road traffic in Raos 7-8 or the first phase of the car storage silo.
· Reinforcement of the personnel of the port police.