The winner of the first ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports will be announced on 4 November 2009 during a festive ceremony to be held at the Town Hall of Brussels.

The jury, which is chaired by John B Richardson, former Head of the Maritime Task Force in the European Commission and Special Advisor at FIPRA International, shortlisted earlier seven projects from the total of 30 projects that were submitted. The ESPO Award on Societal Integration aims to promote innovative projects of European port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city or wider community in which they are located. In this way, the Award wants to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their communities.

The seven nominees for the first edition of the ESPO Award are:
- The Port Authority of Algeciras Bay (Spain),
- Genoa Port Authority (Italy),
- Ghent Port Company (Belgium),
- Port of Gijón (Spain),
- Port of Rotterdam Authority (The Netherlands),
- Ports of Stockholm (Sweden), and
- Port of Turku (Finland).