Isabelle Ryckbost

Isabelle Ryckbost

Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) since 1/08/2013. Before taking up this function, Isabelle has been working as Director of the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) and Senior Advisor of ESPO for four years.

She studied Law (University of Namur and KULeuven) and European Law (UCL Louvain). Before joining EFIP, she worked in EU Public Affairs for almost 20 years. After a short period at the European Commission (DG Agriculture), she worked in an EU Public Affairs consultancy. In 1994 she started working in the European Parliament, as a political assistant and between 1999 and 2009 she was the political assistant of Dirk Sterckx, where she was mainly active in transport and port-related fields. She is co-author of the handbook “Zo Werkt Europa” (1st edition 2007, 2nd edition 2010, 3rd edition 2015).

Contact info

Website:
www.espo.be
  • EU-ETS parameters explained
    News

    EXCLUSIVE: The implementation and competitiveness challenge

    2024-03-19T13:03:00

    EXCLUSIVE: How will shipping implement all the new emissions regulation coming into force?

  • Shipping in Shanghai
    News

    Unifying the way we all count emissions

    2023-12-13T16:41:00

    Europe is looking to unify the way that freight and passenger transport and hubs count emissions

  • Wind turbine from a Wind4Wallonia windfarm
    News

    Ports in the race to net-zero

    2023-05-03T13:49:00

    Europe has been focusing on its Green Deal ambition to make the EU the first net zero continent

  • Isabelle Ryckbost, secretary general, ESPO
    News

    Setting course for a new year

    2023-01-19T10:35:00

    How do you start a new year with new intentions, ambitions and strategies in a world full of uncertainties?

  • The REPower EU plan aims at enhancing Europe’s energy independence
    News

    Never waste a good crisis

    2022-12-07T15:08:00

    Since the beginning of 2020 we are experiencing world crises most of us would have considered before as unrealistic and never to happen again.

  • The Fit for 55 proposal extends the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) to voyages involving European ports
    News

    Emission trading system - will it be effective?

    2022-06-15T11:54:00

    As part of the Fit for 55-package published in July last year, the Commission issued a proposal to include emissions from maritime in the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS).

  • Isabelle Ryckbost, secretary general, ESPO
    News

    Towards a sustainable TEN-T policy

    2022-02-07T12:29:00

    The European Commission has put another ambitious package on the table while we are still in the process of assessing the full implications of Fit-for-55, says Isabelle Ryckbost, secretary general, ESPO.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost, secretary general of ESPO
    News

    Call for FuelEU clarity

    2021-11-29T11:05:00

    European ports want coherent legislation on provision and use of clean energy infrastructure for ports.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost, secretary general, ESPO
    News

    Creating green energy hubs

    2021-10-05T13:21:00

    The EU Commission has published a whole series of proposals for Europe to reach a 55% emission reduction by 2030.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost
    News

    Making the EU fit for 55

    2021-06-29T16:00:00

    If all goes well, on 14 July we will not only be commemorating the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille in 1789, but also be bearing witness to a green revolution in Europe.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost
    News

    Onshore power supply where it makes sense

    2021-05-11T12:31:00

    In the 2019 European Parliament, Vice President Timmermans clearly voiced his intention to tackle shipping emissions at berth in ports.

  • Stylised digital graphic showing data overlaid on a port
    News

    From Green Deal to green recovery?

    2020-07-10T09:57:00

    In the last edition of the Greenport magazine I shared ESPO’s view on the Green Deal with you, but then just when these unprecedented EU ambitions to fight climate change were put forward, Covid-19 happened.

  • Port of Rotterdam
    News

    The best green deal for ports?

    2020-05-05T11:01:00

    The “Green Deal” will be one, if not the biggest priority of the European Commission under President Von der Leyen and here I’ll discuss why.

  • IMO
    News

    More efficiency, less emissions?

    2018-09-11T11:01:00

    Shipping will have to reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2050. The IMO agreement agreed in April of this year has been considered by many policy makers and many stakeholders, including the ports, as a real milestone.

  • Port waste bins
    News

    Regulating ships’ waste

    2018-04-18T08:57:00

    A new port facilities directive should lead to more efficient but responsible management of waste from ships.

  • ESPO's Top 10 Priorities. 1: Air quality; 2: Energy consumption; 3: Noise; 4:Water quality; 5: Dredging operations; 6: Garbage/Port waste; 7: Port development (land related); 8: Relatinship with local community; 9: Ship waste; 10: Climate change
    News

    Environmental priorities of European ports

    2018-02-20T11:11:00

    Since 1996, the European port sector has been monitoring, through the EcoPorts network, the main environmental concerns of port authorities in Europe.

  • Plastic waste on a beach
    News

    One bridge too far

    2017-08-30T12:15:00

    It’s often said European port authorities assume both public and economic responsibilities and our latest fact-finding survey showed that 90% of European ports are situated in or close to urban agglomerations.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost
    News

    A window of opportunities

    2017-07-12T11:50:00

    I believe that when it comes to increasing efficiency both in terms of energy and operations, do more with less, is one important path to follow. And this certainly counts for the operational side of the maritime transport sector.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost
    News

    The sustainable agenda of European cruise ports

    2017-03-29T13:27:00

    At the end of February, Brussels was the place to be for the European maritime sector. The maritime beau monde gathered in Europe’s capital for the second edition of the European Shipping Week.

  • Isabelle Ryckbost
    News

    Ecoports: The EU port’s environmental initiative turns 20

    2017-01-25T16:48:00

    2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the Ecoports network. What started in 1997 as a separate initiative of a number of ports proactive in the field of environment evolved over the years towards a solid network of around 100 European ports within ESPO.

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