- The port sector has proved its commitment to environmental improvement by publishing its first European Environmental Code of Practice in 1994 and by undertaking a number of European environment-focused projects.

- Developing a Code of Practice was one of the first tasks taken on by ESPO following its creation in 1993. This was the very first time that European port administrations had expressed a collective view and approach. The Code was intended to be a clear expression of their collective commitment to environmental improvement. It therefore made a series of important recommendations about the integration of environmental protection policies into all aspects of their operations. The Code stimulated a new awareness of coming environmental rules and  their implications. It spread the message that environmental effectiveness meant cost-efficiency.

- Even during the relative short period since the first ESPO Code was published, concern about the environment and the development of sustainable policies has increased, bringing about advances in policy and legislation. In the light of such changes ESPO published an Environmental Review in 2001, reviewing the progress that had been made and the action taken since the publication of the Code. It further set out a series of highly innovative recommendations for future action:

• Ports should prepare a publicly available environmental policy setting out their strategies & methods of achieving them
• Plans should be reviewed regularly to take account of legislative and other changes
• Ports should produce a publicly available annual environmental review
• Ports should consider what environmental monitoring is required to assess their environmental progress
• Ports should establish a number of relevant environmental indicators with targets to measure progress
• Ports should consult adequately the local community on its environmental programme

Further to its commitment, through the ESPO Code and Environmental Review, to environmentally friendly behaviour, the EU port sector undertook several projects aimed  at improving the environmental performance of its activities.

- The Soil Recycling project (1995-1996) developed a guideline for port management in relation to contaminated soil and demonstrated the practical benefits of sharing knowledge on technological and procedural solutions for re-use of contaminated port sites.

- The ECO-Information project (1997-1999) developed a dedicated set of environmental management tools for the port administrations: an audit tool (Self Diagnosis Methodology - SDM98), an information engine (Database and Methodological Guide) and a communication platform (www.ecoports.com). More importantly, the project developed an extended network of port administrations; more than 60 European port administrations participated in the test-run of these tools.

- The EcoPorts Foundation (EPF) has been established in 1999 by a group of 8 big European Ports, as a non-profit organization to provide a networked platform for the continuation into the future of the products and services developed through the ECO-Information project and other European cooperation projects on sustainability in ports and the logistic chain.

- In 2002 port administrations took one more step by starting ECOPORTS, a 3-year cooperation project on ‘information exchange and impact assessment for enhanced environmental conscious operations in European ports and terminals’. The main goal is to harmonise the environmental management approach of port administrations in Europe, to exchange experiences and implement best practices in respect of port-related environmental issues.

- Since the end of ECOPORTS project (June 2005) EcoPorts Foundation continues the "ECOPORTS" approach, providing the platform for the continuation of the products and services developed through the ECOPORTS project. The Foundation also plays an important role being a partner in other European cooperation projects and acting as a focal point for port environmental managers to exchange environmental best practice experiences.