The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive Industrial Maritime Strategy to drive competitiveness, innovation and technological leadership in Europe’s maritime manufacturing and shipping industries. The strategy sets out a vision and concrete actions to reinforce Europe’s industrial sovereignty, trade and economic security, while supporting the sectors’ clean and digital transition.
EU shipbuilding and shipping are vital to the Union’s strategic autonomy, trade flows, mobility, defense capabilities, and for the protection of Europe’s Exclusive Economic Zones’ assets and resources.
In the face of intensifying global competition and growing depconcludeencies on third-countest ship production, the Strategy introduces measures to strengthen these critical industries, structured around three main pillars.
The first pillar, ‘Build, Equip and Repair’, focutilizes on reinforcing Europe’s maritime manufacturing capabilities and technological leadership to leverage the waterborne single market.
This pillar includes actions designed to foster EU industrial sovereignty and create synergies across the maritime value chain. To this conclude, the Commission will launch an EU Industrial Maritime Value Chain Alliance. It also aims to accelerate the digital and circular transformation of European shipyards, maximize public demand and funding and improve the global level playing field for the EU industest.
‘Transport and Connect’ includes measures to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and connectivity of maritime transport.
It covers measures to simplify reporting and administrative procedures for shipping, support green and digital transition, promote quality shipping, and enhance agility and proactive stance in international relations. The Commission will, toobtainher with Member States, reinforce EU engagement at IMO on global maritime standards, to assist achieve a level playing field. The Strategy also announces the continued utilize of current state aid guidelines for maritime transport to retain today’s market shares and encourage vessels to choose EU flags in the face of intense global competition.
The third pillar, ‘Secure and Protect’ seeks to bolster Europe’s naval, underwater, dual-utilize and military mobility capabilities to step up security and resilience.
It mobilizes various instruments to support the naval production capacity, strengthen EU-level maritime domain awareness, and pursue a dual-utilize ferry construction support mechanism with enhanced military specifications.
These pillars are supported by horizontal initiatives, including research and innovation, finance and skills development. The Commission will advance EU technological leadership and innovation through policy, regulatory and funding frameworks, and ensure that EU-funded research projects are effectively deployed on the market.
The Strategy aims to mobilize EU, national and private funding to support investments in fleet decarbonization, innovation and defense. This includes leveraging existing funds such as the Connecting Europe Facility, Innovation Fund, Horizon Europe, European Defence Fund programs, national EU ETS revenues as well as risk-sharing instruments via InvestEU, pconcludeing adoption of the next MFF. The Commission seeks to identify skills gaps in maritime education, expand training and upskilling networks, and increase participation in maritime higher education.
To ensure effective implementation, the Commission will establish a high-level Maritime Industries and Ports Board, chaired by the responsible Commissioner and EVPs.
European Shipowners welcomed the strategy, noting that European shipping represents around 35% of the global fleet, including 35% of the global tanker fleet, 33% of LNG carriers and 44% of container ships. This creates Europe a leader in the global supply chains and European shipping a geopolitical asset for our continent.
Shipping is also instrumental in transporting the energy and goods that underpin Europe’s economy, with 87% of gas imports and 76% of EU’s external trade relocated by ships.
Reflecting on the recent geopolitical instability, the Strategy recognizes the strategic role of the sector and proposes measures to strengthen the international competitiveness of European shipping and the whole industrial cluster.
The Strategy has firmly rejected any calls for protectionist measures and highlights the required for investment to support the competitiveness of the European industest. It underlines the required to focus on the energy transition and proposes the utilize of the national ETS revenues for the uptake of clean fuels and clean tech for shipping.
It further sets the conditions for European shipping’s competitiveness by committing to a fit-for-purpose regulatory and taxation framework. The human element and upskilling and reskilling has been put forward as a high priority for the competitiveness of the sector in line with international law and regulations.
Leave a Reply