Port of Koper logistics infrastructure opportunities

The methods of customer service and assistance provided to Slovenia in the field of import and export from and to the European Union. Slovenia has been a member of the European Union since the 1^st of May, 2004, and this means that it is also a member of the common, uniform European market. There are two transport corridors crossing on the territory of Slovenia: the north-south corridor between the Adriatic and the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean corridor connecting east and west of Europe, which runs from Ukraine to Spain. All border controls take place in the port of Koper, which is the main border point of the area. The port also has the advantage that it operates around the clock, and offers customs service 24 hours a day. Ambitious development plans assume that 365 business days will be achieved within a few years.

The community of the port of Koper is characterized by good coordination, holistic approach, flexibility of procedures, professionalism, synergy and optimization of activities, all very important for business development. The chance for development is increased by the fact that Slovenia has been a member of the European Union since 2004, and the port represents a very broad EU market. Goods that enter the European Union through the port of Koper can be declared there and delivered, without additional stops, directly to the recipients in the European Union. The Adriatic-Baltic corridor and the road connection guarantee a very favorable transit time, improving the competitiveness of the European Union in the delivery of goods. Shipyards also support the Port of Koper to a large extent. Koper has an advantage over the other carriers in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Apart from the port equipment itself, its advantage is also a very efficient port system, without extensive bureaucracy, operating in the 24/7 system. It is also important to ensure an extremely high level of security (SPS, SOLAS). The port’s mission is to focus on the clients’ success, and it has wide possibilities for providing comprehensive customs services (import, export, transit within the European Union).

The Port of Koper serves the majority of the markets of countries whose delegations participate in the “16 + 1” meeting. It can become an important transport center and handle freight transport across Europe and beyond. In 2016, the Union Customs Code regulations were implemented and SOLAS’s requirements in the field of transport were met without any delays or difficulties in the provision of services. In the case of distribution of goods from Slovenia, on 1^st July, 2016, the so-called postponed accounting system for value added tax (VAT) was implemented, which results in the deferment of VAT payments. The pre-clearance procedure before customs control is also being developed. A famous quote, written by Sun Zi, says: “If we take into account the knowledge of the area, we can beat the competition.” Good knowledge of Central and Eastern Europe is the advantage and strength of the port of Koper.

Mr. Čedomir Bojanić, Representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia confirmed the need to optimize logistics in order to ensure competitiveness. He expressed the conviction that this search in the nearest future will focus on intermodality. However, the throughput will not be sufficient for the quantities of goods that will be delivered from China via the railways. Therefore, the best solution will be to use sea transport in conjunction with investments in road and railway infrastructure. Public-private partnership is a very promising solution in this area. From this point of view, business will play an important role in the development of infrastructure, especially in the field of logistics.

Čedomir Bojanić, Representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia