Dritsas abandons plan for a Piraeus port watchdog

Following pressure by the country's creditors as well as market opposition, Shipping Minister Theodoros Dritsas has been forced to abandon his ambition of creating a Piraeus Port Public Authority (DALP).

The draft law put up on Thursday for public consultation provides for the creation of a Public Authority for Ports (DAL), but not for Piraeus.

The new entity will also have significantly reduced powers in comparison with what the ministry's previous drafts had dictated.

It will also stop short of being an independent watchdog, which will be the role undertaken by the new Regulatory Authority for Ports (RAL).