The Port Governance Agency (PGA) is a regulatory body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and serves as the port authority for all ports and terminals in Serbia.
Through our three roles – regulatory, expert, and developmental – we strive to improve the position of Serbian ports in the international market and utilize Serbia’s numerous nautical potentials.
The results of our activities over the past eleven years have significantly contributed to the advancement of waterway transport in the country: a new legal framework has been established, precise data analytics on cargo and passenger traffic on rivers have been implemented, and most importantly – we are working on modernising and developing port infrastructure.
Compared to just two decades ago, when there was no clear vision of how to strengthen the economy by improving the port sector, the current situation on Serbia’s rivers is different – eleven cargo ports and ten international passenger terminals have been declared so far, the first investments in marinas have been made and comprehensive plans for expanding the capacity of cargo ports have been initiated.
We are the second country in the Danube region, after Romania, in terms of cargo volume, and the third in the Danube basin in terms of the number of cruise ship passengers.
In addition, we have solidified our position within international frameworks, where we are recognized as a reliable partner in projects focused on the development of port activities. In this regard, we are very proud to stress that PGA is the first Serbian full member of the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP).
The cooperation between PGA and the EFIP is primarily reflected in good communication, constant information exchange, and mutual support. The most significant result of this collaboration so far is the inclusion of more Serbian ports in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), for which we are particularly grateful to EFIP and their lobbying efforts in this direction. We are pleased that the Federation has recognised the importance of Serbian ports for the European transport system and appreciate their willingness to work with us to achieve this goal.
Additionally, we would like to highlight the meeting of the EFIP Executive Committee, which was held in Belgrade in October 2023, hosted by PGA. The event, which was rated as highly successful, provided us with great pleasure to present to other members the activities of Serbia in improving the port sector and to discuss the steps ahead for the further development of inland ports.
When it comes to the future of inland ports, sustainability and decarbonisation play a key roles. To achieve this, as a socially responsible institution, we are developing projects in digitalisation and clean energy within ports. Among others, our flagship project, «Green Ports» which we have initiated, will greatly contribute to aligning with the goals of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and maintaining pace with other European inland ports.
The project is based on three segments: an accident monitoring system (measuring stations), solar energy, and shore power supply for cruise ships, thus enabling the establishment of a sustainable and resilient transport system and the reduction of the carbon footprint of water transport.
Good and intense cooperation with EFIP in the coming years will greatly contribute to achieving the goals set for the port sector in Europe.