The European Industrial Maritime Strategy, published on 4 March, marks an important step for Europe’s maritime sector. For the first time, the European Commission has set out a comprehensive vision to strengthen the competitiveness of European shipping and the maritime industrial cluster. For European shipping, this recognition is significant: our sector is not only an enabler of trade but also a strategic asset for Europe.

Reflecting on recent geopolitical developments, the Strategy explicitly highlights the critical role shipping plays in Europe’s energy and supply chain security. Maritime transport carries around 76% of the EU’s external trade and 87% of EU gas imports, ensuring that energy and goods continue to flow to European citizens and industries.

Equally important is what the Strategy ultimately avoids. Earlier drafts of the document included protectionist proposals seeking to introduce import duties on foreign built vessels. Shipping is a global industry and protectionist policies would not strengthen European shipping and its industrial cluster – they would risk weakening its global position. The Strategy therefore takes the right direction by focusing on investment instead of protectionism.

In this context, the Strategy issues a strong recommendation to Member States to use the EU ETS revenues to support the uptake of clean fuels and technologies. Shipping is expected to generate around 9 billion euros for the Member States’ budgets – as long as shipping is paying under the EU ETS, these revenues generated must be reinvested in the energy transition of the sector.

European shipping also remains a global leader, representing 35% of the world fleet and operating across all major shipping segments. However, while our fleet keeps growing, other fleets are growing faster. This is why it is crucial to see that the Strategy commits to a fit-for-purpose regulatory and taxation framework, which is key to maintaining a global level playing field and to keeping European shipping competitive.

However, European Shipowners have called on the Commission to go a step further when it comes to ensuring a level playing field and send a strong signal that EU measures should be transitional and will be withdrawn once a global agreement is adopted at the International Maritime Organization.

Finally, the Strategy fully recognises the need for action on skills, since 250.000 seafarers in the EU will need to be upskilled and reskilled by the mid 2030 for the energy transition. We welcome the strategy’s focus on cooperation on this issue, and we are committed to doing our part. The next Plenary of the European Maritime Skills Forum, an initiative of ES|ECSA with the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and in cooperation with the maritime academies (MET-NET), will meet in Brussels on 31 March to discuss new green, digital and leadership skills needs for seafarers.

The Industrial Maritime Strategy has set the tone for our policy work in the coming months and years. With the right policy framework, one that promotes competitiveness, open and investment, shipping can continue to play its strategic role for the energy and supply chain security of Europe.