1.Member States shall ensure that a port infrastructure charge is levied. This shall not prevent providers of port services which are using the port infrastructure from levying port service charges.
2.The payment of the port infrastructure charges may be integrated into other payments, such as the payment of the port service charges. In such a case, the managing body of the port shall make sure that the amount of the port infrastructure charge remains easily identifiable by the user of the port infrastructure.
3.In order to contribute to an efficient infrastructure charging system, the structure and the level of port infrastructure charges shall be determined according to the port’s own commercial strategy and investment plans, and shall comply with competition rules. Where relevant, such charges shall also respect the general requirements set within the framework of the general ports policy of the Member State concerned.
4.Without prejudice to paragraph 3, port infrastructure charges may vary, in accordance with the port’s own economic strategy and its spatial planning policy, in relation to, inter alia, certain categories of users, or in order to promote a more efficient use of the port infrastructure, short sea shipping or a high environmental performance, energy efficiency or carbon efficiency of transport operations. The criteria for such a variation shall be transparent, objective and non-discriminatory, and shall be consistent with competition law, including rules on State aid. Port infrastructure charges may take into account external costs and may vary depending on commercial practices.
5.The managing body of the port, or the competent authority, shall ensure that port users and the representatives or associations of port users are informed about the nature and level of the port infrastructure charges. The managing body of the port, or the competent authority, shall ensure that users of the port infrastructure are informed of any changes in the nature or level of the port infrastructure charges at least two months in advance of the date on which those changes come into effect. The managing body of the port, or the competent authority, shall not be required to disclose differentiations in the charges that are the result of individual negotiations.
6.The managing body of the port shall, in the event of a formal complaint and upon request, make available to the relevant authority of the Member State concerned the information referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5, and any relevant information on the elements that serve as a basis for determining the structure and the level of the port infrastructure charges. That authority shall make the information available to the Commission upon request.