Le régime des ports maritimes en Italie et en France

If there is no harmonization between the port systems in the European Union, the level of the state intervention is one of the distinguishing criteria. In Italy, it occurs in all seaports, which are owned by the State. In France, the major seaports are managed by public port authorities, whereas the other ports fall within the jurisdiction of the local public authorities. In the Italian port system, the port authorities, unlike the French port system, are not allowed to engage in business activities in their ports thus guaranteeing a regulatory function consistent with the European Union purposes.