The main aim of this paper is to present a pricing mechanism appropriate fo
r allocating common maritime infrastructure cost which would allow not only
a fair and efficient allocation, but also, a solution which would take int
o account demand characteristics assuring a realistic interpretation of mar
ket's behaviour. The proposed solution concept is that of the "ratio equili
brium". Its main qualities consist in guaranteeing a balanced budget, and b
eing - from a strategic point of view - a stable solution. In other words,
no port user will be discouraged from using the infrastructure by the assig
nment of a cost-share that is too high. This latter feature adds a competit
ive element into the calculations and can be considered as an innovative fe
ature of this analysis. A numeric example is presented. (C) 2000 Elsevier S
cience Ltd. All rights reserved.