The Port Autonome du Centre et de l’Ouest (PACO) Joins Green Marine Europe: A Major European Inland Waterway Transport Player Commits to the Framework

Green Marine Europe continues the deployment of its port framework with the participation of the Port Autonome du Centre et de l’Ouest (PACO), a key player in inland waterway transport and inland logistics in Wallonia.

An Inland Port at the Heart of the Walloon Logistics Corridor

Located along the Walloon industrial corridor - from the Centre region to Walloon Picardy, via the Mons-Borinage area — PACO plays a central role in organising regional logistics flows.

Ranked among the leading European inland ports in terms of cargo throughput, PACO relies on a network of infrastructures and multimodal platforms contributing to the development of waterborne transport and to regional and European logistics connectivity.

Low-Carbon Transition, Multimodality and Logistics Innovation

PACO is developing its activities within a broader transition dynamic affecting logistics and port operations.

The port notably highlights projects related to transport decarbonisation, circular economy, digitalisation and infrastructure modernisation, while taking into account the industrial and territorial realities of Wallonia.

This approach reflects the evolving role of inland ports, which are now fully concerned by the challenges of energy transition, logistics optimisation and supply chain resilience.

Environmental Challenges Affecting the Entire European Port System

Discussions around the sector’s transition were long mainly focused on major seaports, but they now concern the full spectrum of port and logistics infrastructures, including inland waterway networks.

In this context, the Green Marine Europe framework provides a structured approach enabling these challenges to be integrated into a logic of measurable performance and continuous improvement.

PACO’s participation illustrates this momentum and confirms the growing interest of inland ports in operational environmental performance management tools.

A Diversification of the Green Marine Europe Framework

With PACO joining the program, Green Marine Europe continues broadening its framework to encompass a diversity of European port models: seaports, industrial ports, estuarine infrastructures and inland waterway networks.

This dynamic reflects an increasingly visible reality: the transition of transport and logistics is taking place across entire mobility and supply chains.

Further official announcements will soon confirm this growing deployment of the Green Marine Europe port framework across Europe.