Belgian Politics: Socialists and greens create alliance in Antwerp

Antwerp Socialists SP.A and ecological party Groen have joined together in an alliance to run in next year’s local elections. In so doing, they follow in the footsteps of their local representatives in Ghent, which joined together in a cartel for the 2012 elections and will again for next year. Hasselt’s socialists and greens have also formed a cartel.

In Ghent, the move gave the SP.A-Groen cartel an absolute majority in the last elections, which the parties hope to see repeated in Antwerp. The port city was a socialist stronghold until N-VA swept the local elections in 2012, which saw long-time mayor Patrick Janssens losing the post to Bart De Wever.

Leading the list in Antwerp next year will be Wouter Van Besien of Groen, who calls the co-operation – known as Samen, or Together – an alliance rather than a cartel. “It’s not really a cartel,” he told VRT. “It is an alliance in which other people, also outside politics, will be brought together.”

The vote to form the alliance was as good as unanimous within SP.A but saw some dissent inside Groen, where ultimately 76% of members voted in favour. Former Groen president Mieke Vogels is an opponent of the alliance, she told VRT. “I’m not pro-cartel in general,” she said, “and I’m not at all convinced by the particular platform at the centre of this alliance. I find it weak, a bit of a grey area.”

Read more: Socialists and greens create alliance in Antwerp | Flanders Today

Cyber Security: Hacking Groups Target Shipping Ports in Europe and US - by Rachel King

Authorities in Europe and the US are beginning to recognize that shipping ports are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. The systems used to monitor the movements of containers from ships to trucks can be hacked, either for criminal or other nefarious purposes, according to recent reports.

Failures in these IT systems could disrupt operations at U.S. shipping ports, which handle more than $1.3 trillion in cargo annually, according to a June 2014 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The GAO recommended that the sector conduct a comprehensive risk assessment which is usually the first step in mitigating potential cyberattacks. So far, the Department of Homeland Security has taken limited actions to beef up cybersecurity at maritime ports, largely, officials told the GAO, because they have only recently recognized the severity of cyber-related threats.

The GAO says the dependence of ports on information technology is increasing at the same time that cybercriminals and other groups are becoming more sophisticated. For example, the report notes an incident in 2013 where criminals allegedly hacked into IT systems at the Belgian port of Antwerp which enabled them to smuggle drugs into the country, one of the first known incidents of hackers infiltrating port IT systems.

In compiling the report, government auditors visited three high-risk domestic ports to identify the types of technologies used and examine security plans.

In the shipment of containers, for example, a terminal operating system is used by a port authority to control container movements and storage while containers are in its possession. In addition, business operations systems such as email, file servers and network equipment are used to communicate with customers. These systems are at risk of a cyberattack, the report said.

EU-Digest

Belgium: Thousands of extra jobs in the port of Antwerp

The port of Antwerp and the Waasland region, just west of the city in East Flanders, will have some 4,400 vacancies on offer during the next 3 years.

That's according to research carried out by the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce. Most of the vacancies involve technicians, but there is also a demand for white-collar workers and accountancy and ICT specialists.

Read more: Thousands of extra jobs in the port of Antwerp < Belgian news | Expatica Belgium

Belgium: PSA Antwerp expanding its hinterland terminal port network

Recently PSAA Europa Terminal (quay 869) and PSAA Deurganck Terminal (quay 1742) became the ‘terminals of call’ for the rail connection to/from Athus (Belgium). These PSAA terminals will now be able to offer to shipping lines, forwarders and shippers a direct rail connection to Athus, respectively 2 and 3 times a week.

Furthermore, depending on the volume demand the possibility exists to organize two additional calls a week on the river terminals of PSAA (quay 869, quay 1742 and/or PSAA Noordzee Terminal – quay 913).
Athus was the most important rail link in the NARCON network and this inland location services a wide hinterland area, ranging from Belgian Lorraine, to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and French Lorraine/Alsace to the German Saarland and Rhineland-Pfalz.

As an alternative to the termination of the rail bundling concept in the port of Antwerp PSAA is providing the synchromodal consolidation of the Athus rail cargo (both by barge and truck).

In addition, the partnership with Delta Marine Terminal (DMT) in Moerdijk (Netherlands) was also formalized yesterday. The existing barge connection with three barge shuttles a week between the PSAA terminals and DMT will be optimized. It is the aim to shortly establish a similar paperless customs concept, by analogy with the CT Vrede set-up (to their inland terminal locations in Amsterdam & Zaandam), launched late August 2013.

Also, with the inland terminal operators in Ghent, La Louvière, Brussels (Belgium) and Gorinchem (The Netherlands) formal agreements have been made to realize barge connections to/from all PSAA terminals. 

Read more: PSA Antwerp expanding its hinterland network

Belgium: Port of Antwerp steady on course

Seaports PR reports that Port of Port of Antwerp in Belgium handled 93,822,976 tonnes of freight during the first six months of this year. This represents a drop of 2.1 per cent compared with the same period last year, due mainly to the Belgian Refining Corporation (BRC) suspending its activities.

The container volume expanded slightly during the past half year, demonstrating that the port of Antwerp is able to maintain its position in the difficult economic situation over the past few months.
Ro/ro and dry bulk for their part managed to return good growth figures, of 16.2 per cent and 5.0 per cent respectively. Liquid bulk too has begun to recover in the past month, thanks to BRC restarting.

Read more: Port of Antwerp steady on course - Dredging News Online

German BASF continues to invest in Flanders, Belgium

German chemical concern BASF has announced its intention to invest between EUR 150 and 200 million in its subsidiary in Antwerp (Flanders) in 2012. The company board called the site one of the cornerstones of the group.

The lofty words and promised investments are indicative of the confidence BASF’s has in its facilities in Antwerp (Flanders). Wouter De Geest, CEO of BASF Antwerp, explains: “We have a very strong strategic position in the group. BASF Antwerp is more stable than ever. We keep receiving replacement investments, which include modernizations and limited expansions.” In 2012, the group also wants to employ at least 250 extra people – the same amount as last year.

In 2011, BASF Antwerp posted a 15 per cent increase in revenue for FY 2011 2011, bringing total turnover to EUR 7 billion. This makes it the second largest company in the region – after ExxonMobil. BASFs profit in Antwerp grew by no less than 41 per cent last year, totaling EUR 897 million. In Antwerp, BASF has about 50 production units and 3,300 employees.

 EU-Digest

Flanders Investment and Trade: Japanese Shipping giant NYK moves HQ from London to Antwerp

For the complete report from the Flanders Investment and Trade Organization click on this link

Japanese Shipping giant NYK moves HQ from London to Antwerp

Japanese shipping line NYK is moving its Bulk Transport Headquarters from London to Antwerp. NYK’s European feasibility study showed the best location for this was, for a number of reasons, the Port of Antwerp. For one thing, NYK can enjoy Flanders’ beneficial tonnage tax. In addition, the shipping firm was attracted by a unique treaty between Belgium and Hong Kong which avoids double taxation and the notional interest deduction scheme which allows companies to reduce their taxable base when making investments from their own resources.