Quality of service

Information mechanisms provided by the Port Authority to guarantee transparency in terms of knowledge of conditions for operators wishing to provide services at the Port or apply for concessions (I_18)

Any parties interested in operating in Huelva Port’s service area are informed by our technical services, which provide a detailed description of each and every condition required by the regulations applicable. The Huelva Port Authority website also provides adequate information on the Port’s technical characteristics, port infrastructures, charges and rates, activities etc.

The conditions for occupancy in the public domain (concessions/administrative authorisations) are set out in the Terms and Conditions regulating each administrative section, in accordance with the structure and conditions established in Order FOM 938/2008 of 27 March approving the General Terms and Conditions for concessions in the public state port domain. These particular Terms and Conditions are also currently in accordance with the provisions of Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011 of 5 September approving the Recast Law on State Ports and the Merchant Navy.

In connection with the provision of services, this Law explicitly governs the various types of services to be provided for Port Authorities, specifying the procedures to be followed to obtain licences, and the contents of the Terms and Conditions regulating the service. Through the current legislation applicable as described above, the mechanisms used by the Port Authority to approve services, or any occupancy of the public port domain that may be required by the services, furnish a full guarantee of transparency in terms of knowledge of the conditions for operations at the Port.

Port Authority initiatives to boost efficiency and service quality (I_19)

The Huelva Port Authority’s Navigation and Port Council held a meeting on 19 November 2019, at which the Chair of the Port Authority and the Harbour Master each issued a report on major issues in various areas: these included the provision of port services, maritime safety and prevention and mitigation of pollution, and confirmed the quality of the services provided.

The Port Services Committee met on 30 November 2019 to address the review of 2020 rates for port services in relation to piloting, tug service, ship berthing and deberthing and the collection of ship waste at Huelva Port, and the Committee produced a favourable report on the proposal by the Huelva Port Authority of a rates freeze for all services.

Companies opting for quality allowances to encourage improvements to service quality (I_20)

With respect to quality allowances

As regards the referential values for applying the subsidies envisaged in Article 245 of RD 2/2011, Point 2 Section b), Atlantic Copper, Decal España, ALGEOPOSA, CEPSA, Enagás, IMPALA TERMINALS AND BERGÉ Marítima S.L. were audited in 2019. The outcome was satisfactory and the system was found to have been implemented to a rather mature and efficient extent..

During the process to integrate the Quality and Environmental systems, the protocols were reviewed regarding the subsidies related to the Puertos del Estado Quality Reverential Values. That procedure was approved on 4 October 2019. APH staff is always present at the Puertos del Estado Quality Referential Values audits.

With respect to best environmental practices

Five agreements concerning good environmental practices were operational in 2019 on the basis of Article 245.1 b) of Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011 of 5 September approving the Recast Law on State Ports and the Merchant Navy, which establishes that when the holder of a licence to provide a port goods handling service or the holder of the concession or authorisation for a goods handling terminal meets the requisites stipulated in the article, the general allowance applied will be 15%, and the allowance for solid or liquid bulk traffic will be 20%. In 2019,  a compliance audit was also conducted at the Bergé Marítima, S.L. premises for an agreement to be possibly re-signed during 2020.

Two environmental offers were present as observers at the good environmental practice audits.

Initiatives to take up or manage complaints or suggestions (I_21)

All complaints are taken up via a Register and are channelled to the various Areas or Departments via the General Secretariat. Suggestions are sent to a specific section on the website or to the Register, and the Management Secretariat channels them to the various areas of responsibility. They can also be submitted through a specific area of the website and the Secretary of the Board then channels them to the correct register.

During 2019, 10 complaints and 3 suggestions were received through the General Register. All of them were answered, with actions being taken regarding the 10 complaints and only 2 of the 3 suggestions, as no action was needed to be taken in one case.