Commission launches EU Industrial, Maritime and Port Strategies to boost competitiveness across the maritime sector

The European Commission today adopted an EU Maritime Industrial Strategy and a Port Strategy to boost competitiveness,sustainability, decarbonisation, safety and resilience in the EU maritime sector. The Strategies focus on ports, maritime transport and shipbuilding.

Europe is a continent with a large maritime fleet, with the largest collective maritime area in the world. Its maritime manufacturing sector is a world leader in high-end shipbuilding and advanced technologies. Theshipping sectoris also a leading global provider of maritime services, accounting for more than a third of global maritime tonnage in all segments.

The EU Maritime Industrial Strategyboosts employment, innovation and the EU’s global leadership in shipbuildingand maritime transport

The EU Maritime Industrial Strategy will strengthen Europe’s maritime leadership through various actions, including the launch of an EU Maritime Industrial Value Chains Alliance. It aims to boost high-tech shipbuilding, offshore wind support vessels, underwater drones and cutting-edge port equipment. A flagship R&D call ‘Shipyards of the Future’ under Horizon Europe will also support the testing of innovative solutions in real shipyard environments, with the aim of scaling up successful technologies acrossEurope. To foster competitive maritime transport, the Commission will establish a dialogue with Member States to promote EU flags and streamline administrative procedures,includingthe monitoring, reporting and verification framework for the EU Maritime ETS and FuelEU Maritime.

The Strategy will leverage public demand and funding to promote private investment in innovation and digitalisation in EU shipbuilding, as well as the renewal and decarbonisation of the shipping fleet, including through the inclusion of specific non-price criteria in the upcoming revision of the public procurement directives.

The Strategy ensures fair global competition for EU shipyards and equipment manufacturers, reinforced by increased export financing and specific trade policies, including a possible sector-specific instrument. Furthermore, it fully reflects the dual-use nature of the sector by integrating a strong military dimension, with specific actions such as increasing naval industrial production capacity and developing a support mechanism for the construction of dual-use ferries. 

Finally, its measures improve skills, training and quality employment across the maritime sector, including training shipbuilding workers and seafarers to adopt new technologies and green operational practices.

EU port strategy to ensure competitive, sustainable and secure ports

Ports are the backbone of the European economy. They facilitate around 74% of external trade, handling more than 3.4 billion tonnes of goods and almost 395 million passengers per year.

EU ports are already evolving beyond their traditional functions, serving as hubs for new industrial and innovation clusters. They also play a key role in the EU’s energy supply, security, defence and blue economy.

To accelerate this transformation and ensure the competitiveness of EU ports, the Commission will promote their innovation, digitalisation and integration with other transport infrastructure, develop guidelines on foreign ownership of EU ports and on EU financing and investment in third-country ports. To boost the clean energy transition of EU ports, the Strategy presents measures promoting electrification and improved grid connection. It will also set out a roadmap for competitive small and medium-sized ports.

Ports are also crucial entry and exit points, making them priority targets for external threats and organised crime groups. Building on the EU Port Alliance, the Commission will explore ways to strengthen maritime security legislation to prevent drug trafficking, effectively address emerging threats and improve the security of the EU supply chain. The Commission will therefore propose frameworks for the vetting of port workers and the assessment of third-country ports. A new forum will be set up to facilitate the exchange of best practices between Member States’ port and cybersecurity authorities. In addition,an EU-level security risk assessment will be carried out to identify the most pressing cybersecurity risks and measures to mitigate them.

To ensure the effective implementation of the Strategies, the Commission will establish a high-level Maritime Industries and Ports Board, chaired by the responsible Commissioner and the Executive Vice-Presidents.

Background

The Strategies were announced as key initiatives inCommissioner Tzitzikostas’ Mission Letter and as flagship actions under the EU Competitiveness Compass and the European Pact for the Oceans. In July 2025, the Commission held twohigh-level Strategic Dialogues with industry stakeholders to discuss expectations for the Strategies. Stakeholder dialogues held in May 2025 with the chief executives of European ports and on port security in November 2025 also contributed to the Strategies.

More information: European Commission.