11. Navigation and WFD

11.1.     Introduction

European countries depend on maritime transport. Nearly 90% of the EU’s external trade and more than 40% of its internal trade goes by sea. Almost 2 billion tons of freight are now handled in more than 1200 EU ports each year, and volumes are continuing to increase1. As a result, recent years have seen a number of applications and approvals for major seaport developments. Many such developments have been required in order to accommodate the significant global increase in containerised transport, and further increases in such cargoes are anticipated. In addition to rationalised or new cargo handling and transhipment facilities, new container vessels require deeper access channels to certain ports.