Title:
A Study of the Efficiency of Mediterranean Container Ports in Times of Crisis: A DEA Assessment of Technical, Scale, and Environmental Performance

Authors:
Dirin Mchirgui, Tunisia

Abstract:

This study evaluates the technical and scale efficiency of 31 major container ports across the Mediterranean basin over the 2020–2024 period, using an output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) framework that integrates CO₂ emissions as a weakly disposable bad input. By comparing Constant Returns to Scale (CCR) and Variable Returns to Scale (BCC) models, we disentangle pure technical efficiency from scale effects in a context of regulatory fragmentation, geopolitical volatility, and accelerating decarbonization. Results reveal that only two ports , Tanger Med (Morocco) and Piraeus (Greece) , achieve optimal-scale efficiency (CCR = BCC = 1.000), driven by performance-based concessions and deep supply-chain integration. In contrast, most EU ports (e.g., Marseille, Genoa) exhibit significant scale inefficiency (mean SE = 1.31), trapped in increasing returns to scale due to labor rigidities and fragmented hinterland governance. Three conflict-affected ports (Gioia Tauro, Tripoli, Benghazi) operate under decreasing returns to scale, signaling overcapacity relative to demand. The analysis identifies three strategic archetypes, optimal-scale leaders, scale-constrained performers, and overcapacity traps, and proposes a tiered policy framework: (i) consolidate best practices from leaders, (ii) unlock bottlenecks (digital, regulatory, logistical) for constrained ports, and (iii) reconfigure struggling ports via specialization and multilateral reintegration. Our findings challenge the “infrastructure-centric” paradigm in port policy and demonstrate that institutional design, not capital endowment, is the primary driver of Mediterranean port efficiency.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2025.91211