The European Commission sets course for the future of the EU Ports and Maritime Industry

The European Commission has started preparations for an EU Ports Strategy and EU Industrial Maritime Strategy and is inviting stakeholders to participate in the process.

In July, the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas hosted two high-level Strategic Dialogues in Brussels. The meetings brought together representatives from port, shipbuilding, shipping, inland waterway and related industries to help jointly define priorities, opportunities and actions to feed into the development of the EU Ports and Industrial Maritime Strategies.

As gateways for trade, logistics, energy and military mobility, ports must be fit to support Europe’s future economic and strategic needs. A comprehensive EU Ports Strategy will aim to support the long-term competitiveness of ports in terms with a focus on security, energy transition, and sustainability.

At the same time, Europe’s shipbuilding, maritime manufacturing and shipping sectors are under growing pressure from global competition and rising security risks. The EU Industrial Maritime Strategy will aim to reinforce the sector’s competitiveness and resilience, while driving forward its green and digital transition.

The launch of these EU strategies comes at an excellent moment for PortAbility. By focusing on upskilling and reskilling in port cities, our project supports perfectly the EU’s ambition to strengthen ports and maritime industries, while ensuring that the green and digital transitions are fair, inclusive, and socially sustainable.