Major reform of port administration in Cyprus

Bidding in association with PriceWaterhouseCoopers Eric Van Hooydonk Lawyers has won a government commission for the reform of the Cyprus Ports Authority. Following the 2008-2009 financial crisis it was decided to privatize the administration of the Port of Limassol by granting three concessions to private companies: one for the container terminal, one for the general cargo terminal and one for maritime services.

The Port of Limassol is Cyprus’s largest port and has potential as a transshipment port. The concession award procedure is currently in progress. Together with PriceWaterhouseCoopers Eric Van Hooydonk Lawyers is advising on the reform of the national agency Cyprus Ports Authority, due to be implemented after privatization. We are contributing to the definition of the new role and organization structure of the ports authority and to the identification and resolution of any organizational gaps.

In the meantime the commission granted to us and PwC has been extended to include the drafting of an entirely new set of shipping and port regulations, as these will be required for the due diligence studies of the prospective concession holders. In this connection our firm will be able to draw on our experience with other institutional reforms and the drafting of port regulations for numerous other ports, both in Belgium and in other countries.