The Regional Administrative Court (TAR) of Friuli‑Venezia Giulia on 6 November 2026 suspended a Port System Authority decree (No. 24, dated 28 October 2026) that would have temporarily reallocated two weekly DFDS ro‑ro calls from the HHLA PLT Italy logistics platform to Riva Traiana in the Campo Marzio area. The measure had been due to take effect on 1 November and was described by the port authority as an experimental 12‑week reorganisation to ease truck congestion around PLT.
What the court decision said
The TAR found that the port authority acted without guaranteeing participation of interested parties and that the authority lacked the power to impose the change unilaterally in the absence of extreme urgency. In its interim ruling the court granted DFDS’s challenge and suspended the decree pending a fuller hearing scheduled for 2 December 2026. The port authority’s president, Consalvo, said he remained confident an agreement could be reached between the parties before the December hearing.
The October 28 decree had been negotiated at a meeting convened by the Prefecture on 27 October and aimed to shift two weekly DFDS calls for up to 12 weeks to rebalance vehicle and trailer flows after a steep rise in activity at PLT. The Port System Authority argued the measure was needed to manage safety and traffic in the city; DFDS argued it was penalised and had not been properly involved.
Traffic and capacity context
Internal port figures cited by local press showed average weekly movements at PLT rose from about 1,986 units in 2024 to 3,649 in the period 18 July–18 October 2026 — an increase of roughly 84% — a jump the authority used to justify temporary measures. DFDS had warned customers in a 5 November notice that the port’s changes would affect the Mersin–Trieste schedule. Maritime and terminal operators have argued the temporary shift would help distribute truck flows across different berths and reduce local congestion.
What this means for the market
For carmakers and ro‑ro logistics providers servicing Central and Eastern Europe, the TAR decision keeps the status quo at Trieste for now — DFDS’s established calls at the HHLA PLT terminal remain in place until the court decides. That reduces immediate rerouting risk for finished vehicles and parts transiting by sea and short‑sea feeder into northern Italy before inland distribution. However, the ruling also highlights unresolved capacity imbalances at PLT and between Trieste terminals; the port authority’s statistics show much faster growth at PLT than at neighbouring terminals, reinforcing pressure on road access and urban traffic management.
Logistics managers should treat Trieste’s outcome as a cautionary signal: port authorities increasingly seek active solutions to local congestion (including temporary reassignments), but judicial and commercial objections can delay or block such measures. Shippers moving finished cars, components and Ro‑Ro freight to CEE markets should confirm terminal cutoffs and berth assignments with carriers and forwarders for sailings in November and December, and monitor the TAR hearing on 2 December 2026.
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Sources: RaiNews, AdriaPorts
