European Commission: adoption of the EU Ports Strategy and the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy

The European Commission adopted the EU Ports Strategy and the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy "to drive competitiveness, sustainability, decarbonisation, security and resilience within the EU's wider waterborne sector", announced the institution on 04/03/2026.

According to Rafaele Fitto, Executive VP for cohesion and reform, "this package is very important for the sector itself, for the territories directly concerned and for the EU as a whole".

He stressed "two key points :
• the international dimension : maritime transport is crucial for EU's trade in goods and energy ;
• the local dimension : ports are also engines of territorial development ; where there are ports, there are jobs, investment and infrastructure".

"Ships are indispensable : they carry 3/4 of all EU imports and exports. Even within the EU, they account for 30% of freight transport. The value of EU ports and of its imports transported by sea reaches €1 300Bn annually, added Commissionner Apostolos Tzitzikostas (sustainable transport and tourism).

The two strategies will "strengthen a foundation, boosting the…