Although the EU Commission says it is determined to deregulate European port services, the industry remains steadfast in their opposition. It's unknown what the final outcome will be or if a compromise will be reached this fall. Meanwhile, recent comments by the EU's top transport official, Francois Lamoureaux, seem to hint that the commission's resolve may be weakening. The port deregulation plan is part of a larger scheme by the EU Commission to make the EU the most competitive global economy by 2010. A major step towards that goal includes liberalization.

European airlines and even the rail freight industry has had to come to terms with deregulation, which prompted the commission to question why ports "are the only element of the transport sector not yet included in the EU's regulatory framework."

According to the commission, the deregulation plan would cut cargo handling costs by as much as 30 percent in some ports. However, the European Transport Workers' Federation counters that Europe's ports are already among the world's most efficient, with average handling costs of $100 per container, compared with $200 in the U.S. and $300 in Japan.