Remarks by Executive Vice-Presidents Séjourné and Fitto and by Commissioner Tzitzikostas on the EU Industrial Maritime and Ports Strategies

Executive Vice-President Séjourné  

 

Chers tous,

Je suis très heureux d'être parmi vous aujourd'hui, en compagnie du Vice-Président Fitto, commissaire Tzitzikostas, pour vous présenter notre stratégie industrielle maritime.

L'industrie maritime, qui comprend la construction navale, la fabrication d'équipements et le transport maritime, est sans aucun doute un secteur stratégique pour notre souveraineté et notre sécurité :

• La construction navale européenne est bien évidemment essentielle au transport maritime, mais aussi à la défense, ainsi qu'au déploiement des énergies renouvelables offshore, à la pêche et à l'aquaculture, en passant par les infrastructures de câbles sous-marins et l'observation des océans. 
• Avec 300 chantiers navals et 28 000 fournisseurs d'équipements, cette industrie génère plus d'un million d'emplois et une valeur de production agrégée de 125 milliards d'euros. C'est un acteur capital pour la croissance industrielle régionale et l'emploi local.
• Les récents développements géopolitiques dans le Golfe soulignent une nouvelle fois l'importance stratégique de ce secteur pour le commerce mondial.

Aujourd'hui, cet écosystème industriel est confronté à de nombreux défis.

Alors que nous étions en avance dans ce secteur, les rapports Draghi et Niinistö ont notamment mis en évidence que :

• notre compétitivité s'est érodée ;
• nous avons perdu toute notre capacité de production dans certains segments ;
• il y a une dépendance croissante à l'égard de la production navale de pays tiers et nous disposons d'outils commerciaux inefficaces

Fin janvier, pour la première fois, une commande européenne d'un paquebot à propulsion vélique, qui sera construit en Chine, était réalisée. Il existe donc un risque réel sur les parts de marché dans les technologies du futurs et les infrastructures critiques.

Nous nous attaquons à cela avec cette stratégie industrielle maritime.

Avant de laisser la parole à mon collègue je voudrais partager avec vous trois éléments principaux de cette stratégie.

1. Comment allons-nous soutenir les chantiers navals européens ?

Soutenir notre industrie, c'est d'abord produire davantage en Europe et devenir plus compétitifs. Pour cela nous allons utiliser différents leviers pour remplir les carnets de commandes tels les marchés publics, les fonds européens, les enchères concernant les navires spécialisés, les financements des activités liées à la défense et celles liées au double-usage. Nous allons également garantir des conditions de concurrence équitables pour notre base industrielle.

2. Comment soutenons-nous notre industrie du transport maritime ?

Nous veillons tout d'abord à garantir la compétitivité et l'attractivité du pavillon de l'UE en continuant à nous appuyer sur les lignes directrices communautaires relatives aux aides d'État pour le transport maritime.

Nous allons également soutenir la décarbonisation du secteur tout en veillant à sa compétitivité au niveau international.

Nous allons soutenir l'innovation afin de développer des solutions « made in EU » telles la propulsion Vélique ou le développement de la propulsion nucléaire.

3. Comment la Commission financera-t-elle les ambitions décrites dans la stratégie ?

La Commission propose une série de nouveaux outils et capacités de financement pour réaliser ses ambitions, que je laisse mes collègues vous détailler.

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Executive Vice-President Fitto 

 

Good afternoon,

and thank you for being here.

The European Industrial Maritime Strategy and the Ports Strategy are two important initiatives to strengthen a sector that is strategic for Europe's economy, its competitiveness, and its territorial cohesion.

I would like to thank my colleagues Executive Vice-President Séjourné and Commissioner Tzitzikostas for their strong and coordinated work. 

This package is very important:

• for the sector itself,
• for the territories directly concerned,
• and for the European Union as a whole.

I will focus on two key points:

First, the international dimension.

• Maritime transport is crucial for EU's trade in goods and energy.
• Our ports are gateways for:

- raw materials,

- energy supplies,

- goods,

- and exports from European industries.

Second, the local dimension.

• Ports are also engines of territorial development.
• Where there are ports, there are jobs, investments, and infrastructure.
• Coastal and port regions develop dynamic economic ecosystems around logistics, industry, services, and innovation.
• Small, medium-sized, and island ports support coastal communities and link regional economies to Union priorities at local and regional levels.
• The maritime sector ensures not only trade, but also mobility — especially for islands, including smaller and remote ones.

To address the specific need of these territories we are also working on a territorial strategy for islands that we will approve in the coming months.

In the end, ports and the maritime industry guarantee connectivity between territories and supports economic, social, and territorial cohesion.

This is why the work and the commitment of Commissioner Tzitzikostas on this package are so important.

In conclusion, our joint presence here today reflects the strategic importance of this sector across multiple dimensions.

We are working in synergy between territorial cohesion, competitiveness and strategic support to industry to make Europe capable of protecting its interests while ensuring growth and cohesion across all its territories.

Commissioner Tzitzikostas 

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

As you know very well, Europe is a maritime continent.

Long before motorways stitched together our landscapes and aircraft traced invisible highways across our skies, it was the sea that connected us to each other and to the rest of the world.

And yet, when we think of transport of goods today, we tend to think first of what we see:

Trucks on motorways,

planes overhead,

and perhaps the freight trains that pass through our stations without stopping.

 

Unless you live near a port, ships are less visible. But they are indispensable.

Ships carry three quarters of all EU imports and exports.

Even within the European Union, they account for 30% of freight transport.

From energy supplies to raw materials, and from cars to pharmaceuticals, ships and ports make global trade possible.

The value of EU imports transported by sea reaches 1.3 trillion euro annually.

Our ports also support over 423,000 jobs across the Union.

And let's not forget the almost 400 million passengers, who pass through our ports each year, tourists, commuters, and islanders, who rely on ferries to access work, health care, education and essential services.

 

So, let me be clear:

Europe has a proud history in shipping and the EU controlled fleet is still the largest in the world.

Ships and ports keep our economies competitive and safeguard our quality of life.

 

Today we present two strategies designed to strengthen that foundation.

They are about boosting the competitiveness of our maritime industry and ports, increasing security resilience, and accelerating the transition to more sustainability.

Ports are strategic assets for trade, energy, industry and military mobility.

But as global competition intensifies and security risks multiply, so does their vulnerability.

 

With our new EU Ports Strategy, we will future-proof these gateways to Europe for the long term.

After all, a world-class fleet requires world-class gateways.

We must also take a realistic view of the risks before us.

Foreign ownership and control of ports can pose security risks, particularly where state-backed actors are involved.

We will therefore develop criteria and guidance to Member States, focusing on ports identified as strategic dual-use infrastructure.

To combat drug trafficking and organised crime, we will build on the work of the European Ports Alliance.

We will establish a framework for port assessments in non-EU countries, and introduce rigorous background checks for port workers.

And because modern threats are as likely to be digital as physical, we will launch an EU-wide security risk assessment, to identify and mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

 

On energy, we know that ports are engines of re-industrialisation.

So, we will speed up permit-granting procedures, for strategic energy and environmental projects.

And our upcoming Electrification Action Plan, will address grid access and capacity, ensuring that ports can, indeed, deploy the clean energy required to power the fleets of the future.

 

Now, creating ports fit for the future, will require serious investment, public and private.

Drawing on the Connecting Europe Facility, Cohesion Policy funds and InvestEU, we will support our strategic assets with particular attention to the specific needs of small and medium-sized ports, and those serving our islands and our outermost regions.

I also encourage ports to think beyond traditional models to diversify into clean energy, digital services and blue tech innovation.

Through EU funding, advisory support and public-private partnerships, we can de-risk innovative projects.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Ports are one half of the maritime equation.

Ships themselves are the other.

With the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy, the second strategy we are presenting today,we want our shipping sector to thrive and our shipbuilding sector to revive.

Our maritime sector, as you know, faces intense global competition and growing geopolitical tensions, with ships operating in an increasingly complex environment, of disruptions, energy transition costs and ageing workforce,

intensified by dependencies on third-country ship production and financing.

Also, the hostilities in the Middle East just this week remind us yet again of the strategic importance of shipping and the need to maintain the resilience of the sector.

At the same time, we must confront, aggressive, state-backed subsidies distorting global shipbuilding.

On the other hand, we must not forget that we have more than 300 shipyards and 28.000 equipment manufacturers, who provide us thousands of jobs, and that 97% of cruise ships and 67% of icebreakers, that are so important for Arctic security, are built in the EU.

This leadership is worth protecting.

Our Industrial Maritime Strategy therefore focuses on actions for maritime manufacturing and for shipping.

Our cross cutting actions address innovation, finance, and skills.

Asserting European sovereignty means strengthening manufacturing.

This includes supporting the digital transformation of our shipyards, and creating an Industrial Maritime Value Chain Alliance.

To ensure competitive EU shipping, we will simplify our legislation and work on further reducing administrative requirements.

We will use existing state aid guidelines, which frame how Member States can support shipping.

We will also encourage vessels to choose EU flags, which are recognised globally for high safety and quality standards.

 

On decarbonisation, we are committed to fostering conditions that allow the renewal of our fleets and we will continue to support our shipping sector as it invests in decarbonisation.

Through the Global Gateway Green Shipping Corridor and hubs, we will strengthen international collaboration, facilitate the use of clean and alternative fuels, safeguard investment, and, of course, protect EU interests in international supply chains.

We will also pursue our work within the International Maritime Organization, IMO, and build bridges with international partners, towards global solutions to decarbonise shipping and we will revise the relevant EU legislation in order to avoid double payment and create a real playing field globally.

We will also reinforce EU influence on global maritime safety standards to ensure a true level playing field here as well.

 

Now, innovation will shape the next chapter of maritime transport.

We will support the EU leadership in digital and green technologies with clear guidance, intensified research and innovation support, and safeguards against technology leakage.

Of course, here again, investment remains key.

Through the Connecting Europe Facility, we will support fleet renewal and decarbonisation.

There will also be a dedicated maritime call under the Innovation Fund in 2027, next year.

Additional investment in offshore energy and blue tech, will ensure that maritime innovation continues at scale.

We also call on the Member States to reinvest part of their Emissions Trading System revenues in decarbonising waterborne transport, through clean fuels, ports infrastructure and renewal of ageing passenger fleets.

 

To operate these innovations, we need talent.

So we will also identify skills gaps, and we will work closely together with our social partners, to expand training and upskilling.

Crucially, this transition must go hand in hand, with quality jobs, fair working conditions, and strong safety standards.

As we are looking beyond our borders, we need to be ready in all sectors.

The Commission remains committed to defending EU interests internationally, while building partnerships where appropriate.

Comprehensive maritime transport commitments in trade agreements, pursue reciprocal market access, and enable EU operators to navigate global routes.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

So, let me conclude on a note of realism.

Beyond competitiveness and the energy transition, ports and the maritime industry help keep Europe safe.

Ports are critical for military mobility.

This places them high on the list of infrastructure upgrades urgently needed, which we will support through the Connecting Europe Facility.

Alongside civilian ships, our ports must be capable of accommodating and accompanying military vessels.

On the industrial side, we will support naval production capacity, such as for ice-breaking.

In addition, we are proposing a dual-use ferry construction support mechanism, enabling commercial ferries to be upgraded, so they can also transport heavy equipment in times of crisis.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

These strategies, as you understand, are about more than policy.

They are about preparedness, they are about sovereignty and long-term prosperity.

They reflect Europe's unity of purpose, in securing a resilient, innovative, and competitive future.

They provide a clear framework and very concrete actions.

Now Member States and stakeholders must deliver.

Because Europe's strategic autonomy cannot and will not be built in Brussels alone.

It will be built in our shipyards, ports, our shipping industries, our terminals and our maritime communities.

If we all act with dedication and determination, if we build on collaboration, we will transform our maritime sector and ports into the global leaders of tomorrow.

And above all, they will help keep Europe and the Europeans safe and secure.

Thank you.