Flanders, Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia strengthen ARRRA port cooperation

The prime ministers and ministers of Flanders, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia convened in Meise, Belgium on October 5 for the Port Summit, meeting with port CEOs within the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr Area cluster to discuss strengthening the region’s competitiveness. The agreements reached have been formalised in a final declaration, with the three governments also bringing the outcomes to the attention of the European Union and calling for recognition of the ARRRA as a strategic European port-industrial cluster. The ARRRA cluster encompasses Duisport, North Sea Port, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Port of Cologne/HGK, Port of Moerdijk, Port of Oostende and Port of Rotterdam. Together, the ports in the region generate approximately EUR 65 billion in added value and support nearly 600,000 jobs, playing a crucial role in Europe’s economy, energy supply and strategic autonomy. However, the three governments acknowledged that high energy prices, international competition, lengthy licensing processes and regulatory differences are undermining the cluster’s competitiveness.