President and Secretary General

President of the Port Authority

In October 2012 Paolo Costa (President during 2008-2012) was confirmed as Venice Port Authority's President.

His previous positions include his terms as President of the EU Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, Mayor of Venice, Minister of Public Works and a post as Ordinary Professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

The President's tasks

The President of the Port Authority is chosen from a shortlist of experts in Port and Transport Economics. The President is appointed for four years and can only be reconfirmed once.
The President of the Port Authority also Chairs the Port Committee: tasks include co-ordinating initiatives conducted in the port by the public.

Paolo Costa, Venice port Authority's President

Paolo Costa

Paolo Costa was born in Venice in 1943 and graduated in Economics at Ca' Foscari University of Venice.

University appointments include positions as Ordinary Professor in Urban and Local Economics at the Venice University Institute of Architecture (1980-1982) and as Ordinary Professor of Political Economy (1982-1984) and Economic Planning (1984-1995) at Ca' Foscari University of Venice; he was Rector (1992-1996) of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

He was Minister for Public Works from 1996 to 1998.

In 1999 and again in 2004 he was elected to represent the north-eastern Italian constituency in the European Parliament where he chaired the Committee on Transport and Tourism from 2003 to 2009.

He was elected Mayor of Venice and held office from April 2000 to April 2005.

Since September 2009 he has been a member of the International Transport Forum Advisory Board. Since the same date he has also been Chairman of Expert Group 4 “Ten-T and connections outside the EU” and since February 2010 he has been member of Expert Group 5 “Ten-T Funding and Financing Prospects” established by the European Commission to review the European transport networks.

He is Venice Port Authority's President since 1 July 2008 (in October 2012 he was confirmed for a second term).

In January 2012 he was appointed Infrastructure and Transport Ministry's expert for the coordination of national and European infrastructural policies.

The Secretary General's tasks

The Secretary General ensures the smooth running of the technical and operational issues falling under the responsibility of the Port Authority. Amongst other tasks, the Secretary General follows up the procedures necessary for the President and the Port Committee's decisions to come into force, prepares the port planning document and keeps contacts with the other public administrations involved in the port management to coordinate respective activities.