Quality of service

Information mechanisms implemented by the Port Authority to guarantee transparency in line with the terms and conditions for operators wishing to provide services at the Port or opt for a concession (I_18)

Any operator interested in setting up in the Port of Huelva Service Area is notified by our technical services that they must provide detailed information on each and every one of the terms and conditions required by the applicable legislation. Furthermore, appropriate information is provided through the Huelva Port Authority on the technical characteristics of the Port and its port facilities, rates and tariffs, etc., thus facilitating its dissemination and awareness of its activity.

In the case of public domain occupancies (administrative concession/authorisation), the terms and conditions are set out in the Specifications regulating each administrative title that follow the structure and conditions established in Order FOM 938/2008, of 27 March, approving the General Specifications to grant concessions in the State port public domain. Furthermore, those Specific Specifications are currently in line with Legislative Royal Decree 2/2011, of 5 September, approving the Consolidated Text of the State Ports and Merchant Navy Act.

As regards the provision of services, the aforementioned Act strictly regulates the different types of services to be provided at the Port Authorities, specifying the process to be followed to grant the relevant licence, along with the content of the relevant Specifications regulating the Service. In accordance with the current applicable legislation and which has been quoted above, the mechanisms used by Huelva Port Authority to authorise the provision of the relevant service, or the occupancy of the port public domain that those services require, fully guarantee the appropriate transparency of the terms and conditions to be met to operate at the Port.

Port Authority initiatives to improve the efficiency and quality of the service (I_19)

 

On 3 December 2021, the Port Services Committee met to discuss the price review for 2022 for the services covering pilotage, towage, vessel mooring and unmooring, and collection of waste from the vessels in the Port of Huelva. It was proposed to put to the Board of Directors that the price for all the services be frozen, as they had not received any review proposal. This was ratified by the relevant agreements in the meeting held on 16 December 2021.

Companies benefitting from subsidies to incentivise improvements to the quality of the service (I_20)

With respect to the quality subsidies

As regards to the benchmark values for the discounts 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 2021. The outcome was satisfactory and the system was found to have been implemented in a rather mature and efficient manner.

As regards the discounts envisaged in Article 245.2.a), they were applied to Balearia for the Marie Curie and Sicilia vessels. 

In 2021, the volume of traffic of the companies with discounts as per Article 245.2 to increase the quality of the services provided accounted for 16.631.184 Tn, 54.20% of the traffic through the Port of Huelva.

With respect to good environmental practices

During 2021, five good environmental practices agreements have been in force, specifically with Atlantic Copper, Decal España, CEPSA, Enagás and IMPALA TERMINALS. Those discounts are granted pursuant to Article 245.1 b) of the Legislative Royal Decree 2/2011, of 5 September, enacting Consolidated Text of the Ports and Merchant Navy Act,, which establishes that when the holder of a licence to provide the cargo handling port services or the holder of the concession or authorisation of a cargo handling terminal complies with the requirements cited in that article, the discounts to be applied will be 15% in general on the activity rate and 20% on the handling of liquid or solid bulk. 

An essential requirement of those Agreements is for a specific audit to be conducted by an accredited entity to verify compliance of environmental requirements and degree of environmental performance of the company which is required to enter into or renew such agreements. Therefore, apart from the aforementioned entity, Huelva Port Authority technicians take part in the audits to ensure appropriate monitoring.

Initiatives to receive or manage complaints or suggestions (I_21)

Complaints and suggestions can be made in person at the General Register or remotely using the Electronic Office. They are then sent to the Department of Planning, Internal Control and Management Systems, which filters, analyses and internally forwards the communication to the relevant areas.  The Department of Planning, Internal Control and Management Systems monitors the complaints and suggestions, and is in contact with the interested parties.

They can also be submitted through a specific sector on the website and the Secretary of the Board then channels them to the correct register, when the above procedure is then followed.

During 2021, 14 complaints and 18 suggestions were received through the General Register.

Ten of the complaints involved steps being taken by the APH, while the other four were either not the jurisdiction of the APH or the actions required were not feasible.

As regards the 18 suggestions, 7 required steps to be taken by the APH, while no action was warranted in the other 11 cases.

Huelva Port Authority requires and annually reviews the register of complaints and suggestions from operators with discounts in accordance to the Quality Framework in the benchmark compliance audit.

In 2021, no Customer Satisfaction Study was conducted as they are two yearly and the next one is scheduled for 2022.