European Commission adopts strategies for EU ports and maritime economy

In an effort to boost competitiveness, action on sustainability, decarbonization, security and resilience in the broader EU water sector, the European Commission adopted the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy and Ports Strategy in early March. Both focus on ports, shipping and shipbuilding.

EU industrial maritime strategy

The EU’s industrial maritime strategy aims to boost employment and innovation and support the Union’s position as a world leader in shipbuilding and shipping.

The EU’s Industrial Maritime Strategy is expected to strengthen Europe’s leadership in the sector through a series of measures, including the launch of the EU Alliance for Maritime Industrial Value Chains. It aims to develop high-tech shipbuilding, offshore wind support vessels, underwater drones and state-of-the-art port equipment. To shape competitive shipping, the European Commission will establish a dialogue with member states to promote EU flags and streamline administrative formalities, including the EU ETS Maritime and FuelEU Maritime monitoring, reporting and verification frameworks.

The strategy is also intended to promote private investment in innovation and digitization of the EU shipbuilding industry, as well as the renewal and decarbonization of the shipping fleet, including through the inclusion of targeted non-price criteria in the upcoming revision of the public procurement directives.

The strategy is designed to ensure fair global competition for EU shipyards and equipment manufacturers, bolstered by export financing and targeted trade policies, including specific tools for the sector. At the same time, its measures are intended to enable the hiring of high-quality professionals and develop the skills of existing workers through training and retraining to adopt new technologies and green operating practices.

EU port strategy to ensure competitive, sustainable and safe ports

Ports are the backbone of the European economy. They pass about 74 percent of foreign trade, handling more than 3.4 billion tons of goods and nearly 395 million passengers annually. EU ports are already evolving beyond their traditional roles, serving as hubs for new industrial and innovation clusters. They also play a key role in the EU’s energy supply, security, defense and blue economy.

To accelerate the transformation of EU ports and ensure their competitive position, the European Commission will promote innovation, digitization and integration with other transport infrastructure, develop guidelines for foreign ownership of EU ports and for financing and investment in third-country ports. The strategy outlines measures to promote electrification and better connection to the grid to accelerate the transition of EU ports to clean energy. The document also takes into account the peculiarities of small and medium-sized ports and prepares proposals to make them more competitive in the market.

Ports are key entry and exit points, making them targets for external threats and organized crime groups. Building on an alliance of EU ports, the European Commission will examine how it can with maritime security regulations prevent drug trafficking, effectively counter other threats, and enhance supply chain security. In this regard, the EC is proposing tougher rules for background checks on port workers and assessments of third-country ports. A forum will also be established to facilitate the exchange of best practices between member states’ cyber security authorities and port authorities. In addition, an EU-wide assessment will be conducted to identify the most pressing cyber security threats and measures to mitigate them.

The European Commission will establish a high-level Maritime Industries and Ports Council chaired by the relevant commissioner and executive vice-presidents to ensure effective implementation of the strategy.

How were strategies for EU ports and the maritime economy created?

The strategies adopted by the European Commission were announced as initiatives in a letter outlining the tasks of the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and as flagship measures under the EU Competitiveness Compass and the European Ocean Pact. In July 2025. The Commission held two high-level strategy dialogues with industry stakeholders to discuss expectations for the strategy. Also included were a stakeholder dialogue with European port executives in May 2025 and a dialogue on port security in November 2025.