EU Ports Strategy

Practical information

• Composition of the Study Group
• Maja RADMAN (administrator), Daniel MAKAY (assistant)
• TEN Section meeting: 26 June 2026
• EESC Plenary session: 17-18 June 2026

Background

Ports are a cornerstone of the EU economy, handling 75% of the EU’s external trade. Yet since the 2013 EU Port Policy Framework, their role has expanded far beyond traditional trade. Today, ports are industrial and multimodal transport hubs, gateways for energy security, and critical assets for industrial competitiveness, military mobility, and civil protection.

At the same time, ports face growing pressures:

• Energy transition & digitalisation aiming at clean fuels, smart infrastructure, and climate resilience.
• Security threats reaching from organised crime and foreign interference to cyber risks.
• Investment gaps: despite EU funding, modernising infrastructure, upskilling workforces, and overcoming space/urban constraints demand far greater resources.

This opinion examines how to update the policy framework to ensure competitiveness, resilience, security and sustainability of Europe’s ports.