Brussels, 11 March 2026 – The European Secure Parking Organisation (ESPORG) is proud to announce that Governor Carl Decaluwé of West Flanders has been awarded the ESPORG Lifetime Achievement Award for Safe and Secure Parking Areas (SSPAs) in recognition of his outstanding dedication to enhancing security, safety and resilience in West Flanders and within the EU road transport and logistics ecosystem. The award was announced by Kristian Schmidt, Director for Land Transport at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), during the ESPORG Annual Conference held on 4 March 2026 at the European Commission in Brussels.
Upon receiving the award, Governor Carl Decaluwé said:
“It has been a quite surprising but sincere honor for me to receive this Award from ESPORG.
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to cooperate with a team of highly motivated, competent and committed collaborators who, under the driving spirit of their general manager, have been able to add real value in increasing safety and security at the parkings along the motorways in West Flanders.
I spontaneously associate the entire ESPORG team with high quality standards and convinced professional dedication, oriented by a vision that is a constant source of inspiration for optimising and securing the integrated logistics chain, connected by its countless partners.”
The ESPORG Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and honors individuals with outstanding lifetime dedication to advancing Safe and Secure Parking Areas (SSPAs), thereby enhancing driver wellbeing, road safety, supply chain security and resilience, while supporting economic sectors and benefiting society as a whole.
Carl Decaluwé has served as Governor of West Flanders for more than 15 years, maintaining public order and safety across the province, with traffic and motorway security as a central priority.
Leadership in Transport Security
Governor Decaluwé’s leadership became particularly significant during the European migration crisis in 2016, when thousands of migrants attempted to reach the EU through Eastern transport routes. This resulted in a growing presence of migrants along major traffic corridors in the hope of reaching a new home via cargo. In 2018, this led to a massive presence of transmigrants in the cargo of lorries attempting to reach the UK from the port of Zeebrugge.
Governor Decaluwé coordinated a strict operational plan and took measures which were rapidly implemented to strengthen the security of freight operations following the tragic discovery of 39 Vietnamese nationals in a truck in Essex in October 2019, linked to cargo shipped from Zeebrugge. These coordinated actions led to a 95% reduction in the number of migrants found in trucks departing from the port of Zeebrugge.
Advancing Secure Parking Across the TEN-T Network
Governor Decaluwé broadened his focus to the hinterland in order to optimize the security of the parking areas on the TEN-T network towards Zeebrugge and the ports of Calais and Dunkirk. His efforts aimed to strengthen the security of truck parking areas, a critical element in protecting drivers, freight and logistics operations.
With ESPORG expertise, vulnerabilities in parking areas across West Flanders were rapidly identified. This cooperation initiated a systematic process to improve not only the material security of the various large and small parking areas. Attention was also broadened to include the well-being of truck drivers and the optimization of mutual services between the various logistics partners.
A Lasting Impact on European Logistics Security
Throughout his career dedicated to public order and safety in the province, Governor Decaluwé played an important role as a facilitator between authorities and the local communities, optimising positive interaction and ensuring that security improvements were implemented while maintaining constructive dialogue with residents and stakeholders.
The visit of European Commission Executive Vice-President Minzatu, on 4 September last year was also an EU recognition of the efforts undertaken by the Governor over the past decade in the broad field of logistics and transport across the province.
ESPORG’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors Governor Decaluwé’s important legacy and his career-long support for safe and secure truck parking infrastructure, contributing to the resilience of European logistics chains.
Safe and Secure Parking at the Heart of Future Logistics
Kristian Schmidt, Director for Land Transport – DG MOVE highlighted the growing strategic importance of safe and secure parking areas for the future of European freight transport: „Safe and secure parking areas are not just transport nodes. They are the future energy nodes of the logistics system becoming the natural locations of charging for alternative fuel infrastructure. When digitally connected in real time, secure parking areas can optimise logistics flows, support compliance with driving time rules, and improve supply chain transparency.”
He also stressed that high-quality parking areas are essential not only for security but also for improving working conditions and attracting drivers to the profession:
“Quality is not only about infrastructure. It is also about the working conditions and quality of life of professional drivers, and about the long-term sustainability and resilience of the sector. The awards announced today recognise outstanding dedication to advancing Safe and Secure Parking Areas, helping shape modern logistics hubs that are secure, connected, service-oriented and forward-looking.”
The ESPORG Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognise initiatives and leaders who are helping to transform parking areas into modern, integrated logistics hubs that combine safety, digital connectivity, energy infrastructure and high service standards for drivers.
Learn more here: https://truckparkingaward.eu/
