The European Commission yesterday adopted a EU Industrial Maritime Strategy and a Ports Strategy to drive competitiveness, sustainability, decarbonisation, security and resilience within the EU’s wider waterborne sector.

The EU Industrial Maritime Strategy will strengthen Europe’s maritime leadership by a number of actions including launching an EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance. It is aimed at advancing high-tech shipbuilding, offshore wind support vessels, underwater drones, and port equipment. A Shipyards of the Future R&I flagship call, under Horizon Europe, will also support the testing of innovative solutions in real-world shipyard environments, with the goal of scaling successful technologies across Europe.  To foster competitive shipping, the commission will establish a dialogue with member states to promote EU flags and streamline administrative formalities, including the monitoring, reporting and verification framework for EU ETS Maritime and FuelEU Maritime.

The EU Ports Strategy, meanwhile, will promote innovation, digitalisation and integration with other transport infrastructure, develop guidance on foreign ownership of EU ports and for EU funding and investments in third-country ports. To advance EU ports’ clean energy transition, the strategy presents measures promoting electrification and improved grid connection.

Commenting on the two new strategies, Sotiris Raptis, secretary-general of European Shipowners, the bloc’s shipowning association, said: “The commission has rejected any protectionist calls and instead has prioritised investment. This is how we protect competitiveness, deliver decarbonisation and strengthen Europe’s energy security at the same time.”

Raptis went to urge that EU green measures should be transitional and be withdrawn when and if a global agreement is adopted at the International Maritime Organization.

Dr Lucy Gilliam, co-executive director at the NGO One Planet Port, commented: “We see enormous potential for European ports to become global leaders in climate innovation and ecosystem stewardship. By integrating marine spatial planning, nature-based design, circular production systems with zero emission and wind-assisted shipping into a coherent strategy, Europe can build ports that are resilient, competitive and aligned with planetary boundaries.”