The formulation of port policy incorporates several port governance tasks. The definition, development, and adoption of a (national) port policy are just some of them. The adopted port policy has to be implemented via a number of activities, such as the coordination of actors involved in the sector; the coordination of transport and other policies related to it; the adoption and approval of master plans or business plans submitted by the terminal and port operators; and the development of relevant environmental legislation in line with the principles of port policy.
Both the formation and implementation of port policy also include the representation of ports at the international fora that shape and adopt regulations applying at port level (e.g. the International Maritime Organisation – IMO), and the development of a framework (i.e. consultation with stakeholders, maintenance of port statistics, carrying out strategic studies) that provide the background for any needed adjustments of the port policy in place. These decisions regarding port policy formations, and thus the choices regarding their governance, inform and, therefore, are strongly related to the other types of port governance tasks.