Events 

Conference on Maritime Container Security - Speeches and presentations

10/09/2009 @ Bremen, Germany
Maritime containers represent a significant part of the international trade and supply chains, which are the backbone to Europe's economy. Containers transport involves numerous manufacturers, logistic nodes, operators, platforms and check-points (in particular containers ports). Improving their security requires an integrated research and development approach, including risk assessment, traceability, secure exchange between nations and across operators, and fast but effective screening.

This event helped establish the background to container transport, in general and with particular reference to EU-US trade. Container traffic from Europe to the US is concentrated in a relatively small number of ports, the most noticeable being Bremen/Bremerhaven , Antwerpen and Rotterdam , which together cover more than 50% of the total (Bremen/Bremerhaven itself covers 22%).

Against this background, this event focused on the various technical solutions, under preparation or in need of further R&D, which could improve, in a cost effective way, the security of containers' transport. High-level speakers presented proposed new security solutions, the challenges that R&D is facing, as well as the potential economic benefits.

See speeches and presentations below:

1. Keynotes: Main issues in container security in Europe

Introduction: container traffic between Europe and the US

  • Ralf Nagel, Senator for Economic Affairs and Ports of Bremen (speech )
  • Ramón Gómez-Ferrer Boldova, General Manager of the Port of Valencia (presentation )

European Commission view on container security and related R&D priorities in the context of EU/US relations

    Vice-President Günter Verheugen, Enterprise & Industry, European Commission (speech )

US view on container security and related R&D priorities

    Bradley L. Buswell, Under Secretary (Acting), Science and Technology Directorate, US Department of Homeland Security (presentation )

European Commission view on container security from the customs' perspective

    Walter Deffaa, Director-General, Taxation & Customs Union, European Commission (speech , presentation )

National activities in the field of new technologies for container security

    Maximilian Metzger, Director for Information and Communication Technologies and New Services, on behalf of Frieder Meyer-Krahmer, Secretary of State, German Federal Ministry for Education and Research

The view of the European Parliament

    Christian Ehler, Member of the European Parliament

Regional activities in the field of new technologies for container security

    Heiner Heseler, Deputy Senator for Economic Affairs and Ports of Bremen (presentation )

2. Presentations on new technological developments

State of relevant technology for container security in the United States

    Anh Duong, Director, Borders and Maritime Security Division, Science and Technology Directorate, US Department of Homeland Security (presentation )

State of relevant technology for containers security in Europe

    Stephan Lechner, Director of the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Joint Research Centre, European Commission (presentation )

Research priorities from the European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF )

    Giovanni Barontini, Vice-President Civil Products, Finmeccanica, Rapporteur of the ESRIF Border Security Working Group (presentation )

The experience of two EU funded R&D networks:

    Cees Glansdorp, Technical Coordinator MarNIS , Cetle - Centre for the development of Transport and Logistics in Europe, The Netherlands (presentation ) Michael Naylor, Project Coordinator SECCONDD , Thales Research and Technology, United Kingdom (presentation )

3. Plenary discussion.

« It is also important to note that the US authorities have adopted new legislation (Public Law 110-53, the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act Of 2007) that – as from 2012 – would impose a 100% scanning in foreign ports of containers bound to the US. The European Commission continues to advocate the internationally recognised multi-layered risk-based approach including mutual recognition of trade partnership programs for enhancing and protecting the international supply chain. In the framework of this approach, the Commission is ready to work with the US to find possible technological solutions to help address the security concerns linked to container security. 
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