TOPIC: The extent of autonomy of Port Authorities in the creation and implementation of state port policy.

A panel on Polish seaports, which have recently shown record-high results, promises to be interesting.

They ended 2023 with more than 9% volume growth, which translated into 146.4 million tons of cargo handled. Thus, it can be concluded that there has been a tripling of turnover (212%) in Polish seaports over the past two decades. The Port of Gdańsk handled the most last year, with nearly 81 million tons (80.96 mil. t), up by 18.7%. This placed it in the "Top10" of European ports. Positive changes were also observed in Gdynia, where container volumes approached 30 million T (29.4 million T) after a 5.3% increase. The port complex of Szczecin and Świnoujście recorded a slight decline in container volumes. The more than 4% reduction in turnover levels translated into a result of 35.32 million t in 2023.

How much have Port Authorities of primary importance to the national economy contributed to these increases? Did they build and provide new infrastructure while upgrading the existing one? In their actions, were they guided by market demand, as reported by port users and operators, or did they carry out central dispositions, interfering with the laws of the market and free competition? Representatives of the port authorities in Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście, as well as representatives of the broadly understood business centered around these ports, will speak on these and other issues.