The waterborne ecosystem is a dynamic, multifaceted industry comprising a diverse spectrum of public and private stakeholders, ranging from maritime and hinterland infrastructure managers and operators to product manufacturers and service providers. As a cornerstone of the European economy, the sector facilitates nearly 90% of the EU’s international trade, accounting for 81% of external trade and 40% of internal trade. It is also a key driver of employment and economic growth, providing 4.2 million direct jobs and contributing approximately €500 billion annually to the EU’s Gross Domestic Product.
This ecosystem is fundamental to reinforcing the EU’s resilience across trade, security, defence, energy supply, and sustainability. To maintain its global leadership, the sector continues to invest in innovation, green and digital transformation, and supply chain efficiency. However, achieving these ambitions necessitates a fully integrated transport and logistics ecosystem, encompassing maritime and land transport, terminals, and supporting logistics services .
We fully support the key initiatives recently proposed, including regulatory simplification, lowering market entry barriers to enhance competition, facilitating access to finance to bolster competitiveness, the attention to industrial clusters, promoting labour upskilling and quality employment, and improving policy coordination at both the EU and national levels. To ensure a strong, future-proof waterborne ecosystem, it is imperative to leverage synergies and interdependencies between the different industries.
Our collective stance strongly advocates for an ecosystem-driven strategy that prioritises the eight key pillars outlined below.
We urge policymakers to incorporate these priorities into the EU’s broader industrial, transport and sustainability agenda, ensuring that the waterborne ecosystem remains innovative, resilient, and competitive.
For more information, please see the Joint Position Paper here.