Our Activity for Associates

A large part of the clients of maritime terminals are international. Customs procedures are very relevant to offer customers agile, competitive and stable conditions, and so that the terminals can compete in the same conditions as those located in other countries and with legal security.

For these reasons, one of the main focuses of the activity of the Association are the customs procedures, trying to approach the most competitive in Europe and that the operations are supported by Spanish regulations, thus avoiding possible arbitrary or subjective decisions that generate risks and uncertainty in the operations of the companies.

Storage terminals are fiscal warehouses for the purposes of excise duties on hydrocarbons and alcohols, and their holders are the taxpayers of these taxes, obliged to collect them from their customers and enter them into the Public Treasury. This fact constitutes one of the main risks of the business of the member companies of ATliq, which annually enter the Public Treasury more than 10,000 million euros.

Consequently, the Association pays special attention to the modifications of the regulations related to these taxes, presenting allegations and proposals to the Bills so that they reflect the needs and conditions required by the operations of the associates or improve their efficiency, reduce risks and improve legal certainty. Likewise, the experts of the different companies collaborate with the Department of Customs and Excise Duties in the elaboration of new regulations or ministerial orders that affect their activity.

A significant number of storage terminals are located in Ports or Airports, infrastructures that are considered Special Properties of Properties (BICEs), which implies that all the assets located within a BICE are valued with criteria that lead to an increase in the amount of the IBI. In particular, storage tanks, whether the terminal is in a BICE or not, have been attributed very high cadastral values, which translate into the IBI has become a relevant recurring cost of the terminals of storage.

ATliq has been carrying out negotiations with the General Directorate of Cadastre to adjust the valuation of the tanks and other elements of the terminal to more reasonable criteria and monitoring the procedures to correct discrepancies that are reducing the cost of IBI of the terminals that have taken this procedure.

The terminals of most ATliq members are located in Ports and usually carry out their activity under concession. The relationship with the Port Authorities and the State Ports Agency, as well as the regulations that affect concessions, operations and investments in ports, and the conditions under which various port services are provided are also important for the business of the associates.

ATliq is a member of the Ports Observatory and maintains a close relationship with Puertos del Estado, an organization on which the Port Authorities depend and which establishes port regulations and tariffs. It participates in the meetings of the working groups of this body, in the review of port regulations and in comparative analysis of costs between Spanish ports and with ports in other countries that are relevant to maintain the competitiveness of companies, highlighting their points of view as concessionaires and users of services.

Most of the products received, stored and issued by the companies of ATliq are considered dangerous goods, being subject for this reason to different regulations, both national and European, aimed at achieving safe operations and respectful of the environment.

For this reason, the Association pays special attention to the Projects of modification of the regulations related to safety and the environment, participating in its elaboration when possible or presenting allegations and proposals in order that the standards are appropriate to the specific requirements of our sector.

For ATliq companies, the safety of operations and compliance with environmental regulations is a priority. Therefore, it has created a Safety and Environment Working Group in which the experts in these matters from the different companies share their experiences, accident rates and lessons learned, maintaining due confidentiality, in order to keep abreast of the latest advances and carry out improvement actions.

Having staff templates capable and well trained is one of the fundamental bases of any company. And what’s more, if you operate with dangerous goods.

Therefore, ATliq has a Human Resources Working Group in which specialists in this field share their experiences and statistics, maintaining due confidentiality, and propose improvements in personnel training related to specific fields of the sector.

The Association organizes Dock Operators Courses that allow employees of the members of ATliq to obtain the title of Dock Operator, which is mandatory to operate in loading and unloading vessels.