The European Parliament’s Transport Committee discussed the European Commission’s new Ports Strategy and Industrial Maritime Strategy with Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, focusing on maritime resilience, sustainable fuels, logistics connectivity, and aviation supply security amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
A central objective of the new strategies is to turn decarbonisation into a driver of competitiveness. Ports are increasingly viewed not only as transport hubs, but also as key energy, logistics, and security assets. Several MEPs raised concerns about foreign ownership of European ports and called for stronger safeguards against strategic dependencies on third countries.
The discussion also highlighted the need to accelerate port electrification, digitalisation, and the rollout of alternative fuels. The Commission confirmed plans to simplify permitting procedures for electrification projects and support sustainable fuel production in Europe. Concerns were also raised about the impact of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) on the competitiveness of European shipping.
On maritime industry policy, the Commission underlined the importance of supporting European shipyards and strengthening Europe’s industrial maritime value chain in response to increasing global competition and state-backed subsidies from third countries.
MEPs additionally stressed the importance of improving hinterland connections and multimodal logistics to strengthen European supply chains. The future revision of the EU Combined Transport Directive was discussed as part of broader efforts to improve cargo transport efficiency across Europe.
The aviation sector was also addressed, particularly regarding possible jet fuel shortages linked to the Middle East crisis. Commissioner Tzitzikostas stated that there are currently no signs of supply shortages or expected flight cancellations. The Commission nevertheless plans to issue guidance on fuel distribution and aviation preparedness.
Overall, the debate reflected the EU’s broader effort to strengthen strategic autonomy, energy security, and competitiveness by modernising ports, shipping, logistics, and transport infrastructure.