EFIP members meet in Regensburg (DE) to elect a new president and vice-president and discuss the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal for Inland Ports
Press Releases
04 April 2025
On April 4, 2025, the members of the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) gathered in Regensburg (Germany) for their annual general meeting. The meeting was hosted by Bayernhafen GmbH & Co. KG. The agenda included a discussion on the EU Commission's Clean Industrial Act and, in particular, the election of a new President and Vice-President.
The EFIP members elected Uwe Köhn, Managing Director of Staatliche Rhein-Neckar-Hafengesellschaft Mannheim mbH, as the new President of EFIP. Mr. Köhn takes over the position from Antoine Berbain, who was thanked for his valued work and service as President between 2022 and 2025. Mr. Berbain, Managing Director of Haropa Port Paris, remains part of the EFIP Governing Board together with Carmen Costache, President of the Romanian Inland Ports Association, Florian Röthlingshöfer, Director of the Swiss Rhine Ports, Friedrich Lehr, Managing Director of the Port of Vienna, and Gert van der Eeken, Director General of the Port of Brussels.
Uwe Köhn on his appointment as the new President of EFIP: “I would like to thank my colleagues for the trust they have placed in me. As EFIP President, I will work to present our common goals effectively at European level. We are currently experiencing a profound change in our European Union. Inland ports must play an active role if the EU is to become more competitive and independent. We can only achieve this with a strong voice from the inland ports.”
Uwe Köhn has been Port Director of the ports of Mannheim since January 1, 2021, having previously managed the Rhine port of Kehl. He studied law in Tübingen and Ulm before joining the financial administration of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 1993. Among other things, he worked in the Ministry of Finance and as deputy government spokesman before moving to port management in 2016. In Kehl, he focused on the inland ports as important logistics hubs. He is continuing this mission in Mannheim, working on sustainable, efficient port structures and addressing the challenges of digitalization, change and the workforce. Köhn has also been part of the BÖB Executive Committee since October 2024.
Following the General Assembly, the EFIP discussed the Clean Industrial Deal in a public meeting. Marcel Lohbeck, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Public Inland Ports, explained the potential impact of the CID on ports in this session. He was followed by Karin Schepper, Secretary General of Inland Navigation Europe, who explained the future development of the inland waterway network. Andrea Condotta from Gruber Logistics then gave a practical insight. This was followed by a discussion with the members.
“The transformation of the European economy, which the Clean Industrial Deal aims to drive forward, is inconceivable without ports. Inland ports will play a central role in the transportation, storage and production of new energy sources and in the development of an extensive circular economy. Ports are also crucial in terms of warehousing for crises and military mobility. The aim of the deal must therefore be to strengthen European inland ports. This requires better economic framework conditions, less bureaucracy and targeted support measures for port infrastructure and superstructure.” said Marcel Lohbeck.
Afterwards, the members of the General Assembly had the opportunity to take a bus trip to the port of Regensburg.
EFIP members in Regensburg
The next meeting of the EFIP Executive Committee will take place on September 12 in the Finnish city of Lappeenranta.
Related documents
No attachments.