The Jean Monnet Action “European Ports Policy” of the Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport, of the University of the Aegean, organizes the Jean Monnet Symposium on “The future of the European Port Policy”, an international 2-day meeting of decision-makers, stakeholders and the academia, aiming to generate knowledge and advance the dialogue on the prospects of the European ports and port related initiatives. 
The symposium will take place in Chios, Greece, an island of strong maritime tradition, 28-29 June 2018.
With European ports being engines of growth, EU institutions and stakeholders continue to discuss a number of initiatives aiming to increase the competitiveness of the port sector. The adoption of the Port Services Regulation marked the conclusion of a lengthy discussion on the organization of port services provision and the progressive expansion of the related policy agenda.
The European agenda today includes issues such as the implementation of the Port Services Regulation; the implementation of the General Block Exemption Regulation; the utilization of ports as hubs for blue growth; enhancing the market potential of ports and inland waterways; developing financial opportunities for the ports sector; and sharing good practices from the sector. The ongoing social dialogue might also have implication of working and employment conditions in European ports. A number of additional issues, such as addressing environmental challenges, security, and safety, are also under discussion. The European shipping policy, as well as a number of initiatives aiming to develop European transport systems are closely related to port development, while the ways to enhance and, not least, monitor European ports performance is extensively discussed both by academia and industry experts.
The Jean Monnet Symposium will bring together decision-makers, stakeholders and invited scholars, who are expected to discuss the key themes, the prospects and the role of European level initiatives in reinforcing the competitiveness of European ports.
The Jean Monnet Symposium also aims to stimulate intellectual discussion, between scholars studying aspects related to ports policy, allowing interactions between theory and practice.