Italy's Gallipoli Port Approved for Inclusion in the Jurisdiction of the Taranto Port Authority

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 9, the Italian Council of Ministers approved the inclusion of Gallipoli Port in Lecce Province, Puglia Region, within the jurisdiction of the Taranto Port Authority (AdSP del Mar Ionio). On November 11, the Taranto Port Authority and the Gallipoli Municipal Government held a dedicated meeting to confirm the adjustment of port management authority. This adjustment brings Gallipoli Port into the national port management system. Routine and special maintenance of the port, maintenance of navigation channels and harbor basins, and infrastructure investment planning will be coordinated by the Taranto Port Authority, while maritime safety, navigation supervision, and maritime rescue will remain the responsibility of the Coast Guard within the port authority system.

This administrative adjustment is directly related to the plan for a new tourism marina at Gallipoli Port. The local government had previously applied to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for €70 million in dedicated funding to build a new tourism harbor basin on the Scirocco side of the Giudecca area, with plans to provide approximately 400 yacht berths. According to the project proposal submitted by the municipal government, the works also include the construction of an outer breakwater and inner wave protection facilities for the harbor basin to improve vessel mooring conditions, as well as the rehabilitation of approximately 1 kilometer of coastline affected by storm surges and coastal erosion. The project plan also reserves €1.5 million for the construction of new port authority office facilities.

Prior to the port adjustment, Gallipoli Port was primarily managed at the local level, and related infrastructure investment and maintenance lacked unified coordination under the national port management system. According to the cooperation agreement approved by the municipal government and the Taranto Port Authority, the two parties will advance the procedure for expanding the port's administrative jurisdiction and establish a coordination mechanism for port planning, engineering construction, and subsequent operational management. The agreement also arranges for the Mayor of Gallipoli to participate in the Management Committee of the Taranto Port Authority and to take part in planning and construction decisions for the new tourism harbor project, with specific powers and responsibilities still to be implemented through subsequent institutional procedures.

In addition to the new tourism berths, the existing commercial and passenger facilities at Gallipoli Port are also within the scope of the planned adjustments. The municipal government has proposed renovating some existing wharves in the commercial port area to provide dedicated mooring facilities for local fishing vessels, and extending some existing wharves outward by more than 100 meters to accommodate cruise ship berthing. The adjustment of port functions will accommodate yachting, cruise, and fishery transport, while existing commercial cargo facilities will undergo partial functional conversion based on actual traffic demand.

Project implementation also involves updating port planning documents. The Gallipoli Municipal Government plans to invest €250,000 to revise the port plan prepared in 1987, re-examining existing berths, maritime use rights, and wharf operating licenses, to provide baseline information for the Taranto Port Authority's subsequent preparation of plans for port facilities, berth allocation, and supporting services.

The new tourism harbor project at Gallipoli Port is independent of another port safety project for which funding has already been secured. The existing €9.2 million in funding comes from Italy's 2021–2027 Development and Cohesion Fund (FSC), dedicated to safety improvements at three existing harbor basins: the commercial and cruise basin, Seno del Canneto, and Bacino San Giorgio. The scope of works includes safety maintenance of existing harbor basins and related facilities, and is not part of the €70 million investment application for the new 400-berth tourism harbor.

The Taranto Port Authority's expansion of jurisdiction is also related to the business restructuring of the Port of Taranto itself. The traditional business of the Port of Taranto includes industrial transport, steel, and bulk cargo logistics. In recent years, operating pressures on the local steel industry and the shutdown of facilities at the former Ilva steel plant have created a need for business diversification at the port. The port authority has proposed incorporating Gallipoli's yachting, cruise, and fishery resources into regional port planning, while also studying the redevelopment of idle and underutilized land in the port area and formulating a new list of investment priorities.