The European shipping fleet is one of the largest in the world, representing 35% of the world fleet enabling the EU to play a leading role in the global supply chains.
Europe’s maritime manufacturing and shipping cluster faces increasing global competition and security risks. Strengthening its competitiveness – while advancing the cluster’s green and digital transition – is essential. The industry aims, by 2035, to invest more than €10 billion in highly efficient, automated and sustainable production facilities, and to recruit and re/upskill a total of 500,000 qualified workers.
In this own-initiative opinion, the EESC argues that deeper integration of the Single Market is essential to boost productivity, particularly in the services sector, which remains less integrated despite its growing economic importance.
