In March 2026, the European Commission adopted two complementary strategies aimed at strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability, security and resilience of the EU’s maritime ecosystem: the EU Ports Strategy and the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy. Together, they provide a forward‑looking framework to support ports, shipping and shipbuilding as strategic pillars of Europe’s economy and maritime sovereignty.
The strategies respond to growing global competition, the energy transition and evolving security challenges, recognising the vital role of ports and maritime industries for EU trade, connectivity, defence and industrial capacity. They set out a common vision and a range of actions to modernise infrastructure, support innovation and reinforce Europe’s position as a global maritime leader.
The EU Ports Strategy focuses on enhancing the performance and resilience of European ports by addressing key challenges related to competitiveness, sustainability, security and workforce skills. It complements existing EU ports policy and supports ports in adapting to new demands linked to decarbonisation, digitalisation and evolving trade flows.
In parallel, the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy aims to strengthen Europe’s maritime industrial base, including shipbuilding, maritime equipment manufacturing and advanced maritime technologies. The strategy promotes innovation, investment and coordination across maritime value chains to support clean technologies, industrial leadership and strategic autonomy.
For the Atlantic Sea Basin, these strategies are particularly relevant as ports and maritime industries play a central role in supporting sustainable blue economy activities, offshore renewable energy deployment and resilient maritime supply chains. The strategies underline the importance of sea‑basin cooperation, aligned investment and knowledge sharing to deliver EU objectives at regional level.
Learn more about the EU Ports and Industrial Maritime Strategies