The president of the Port Authority of Almería (APA), Rosario Soto, made an institutional visit to the Port of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) to meet with its president, Gerardo Landaluce. The meeting focused on the assessment of the development of the Strait Crossing Operation (OPE) 2026 and the imminent implementation of the European Entry and Exit System (EES).
The Port of Almería, second in the national system after Algeciras in this significant seasonal passenger movement, aims to expand its passenger services. Soto, accompanied by Borja Fernández-Pacheco and José Miguel López, gained firsthand knowledge of the passenger-related services in Algeciras, a leading port in the OPE with connections to Tangier Med, Ceuta, and Tangier Ville (via Tarifa). The Port of Almería, in turn, connects with Melilla, Nador, Orán, and Ghazaouet.
During the visit, Landaluce and the general director of APBA, José Luis Hormaechea, presented Soto with the key projects of the Port of Algeciras, including its two container terminals, recognized for their efficiency according to reports by the World Bank and S&P Global. The APA president expressed gratitude for the collaboration from the APBA team.
The EES is an IT system that will record biometric and personal data of third-country nationals when they cross the EU's external borders. It will replace physical passport stamping with a digital seal and generate alerts for unauthorized entries. Funding for its implementation in both ports comes from the European Union, under the 2021-2027 IGFV Programme.
