Building a comprehensive European port strategy
INTA-AD-750079
Committee on International Trade · Rapporteur: Iuliu Winkler
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The Committee on International Trade suggests amendments to the Committee on Transport and Tourism's draft recommendation on a European port strategy. It calls for ports to be treated as critical infrastructure, protected from foreign control and unfair competition, and supported in the green and digital transitions.¶¶¶ It asks for scrutiny of foreign investments in ports, an EU-wide reciprocity review mechanism, and refusal of access to ships whose last or next port of call is in Russia, except for justified humanitarian reasons.¶¶¶ It wants a strategy that ends preferential tax treatment for liner shipping companies, supports hydrogen imports and EU programmes for ports, and treats Ukrainian ports as part of the European port system.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on International Trade suggests that the Committee on Transport and Tourism incorporate these amendments into its draft recommendation, covering port resilience, security, foreign investment scrutiny, fair competition, energy transition and reciprocity.¶
Key points
- Calls on the Committee on Transport and Tourism to incorporate these suggestions into its draft recommendation.¶
- Emphasises that European ports are critical infrastructure for supply chain resilience, energy security and the green and digital transitions, and played a key role during the pandemic.¶
- Highlights that since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, ports keep trade routes operational, set up alternative routes including humanitarian and solidarity lanes, and help reduce energy dependency on Russia.¶
- Says the EU should pay special attention to ports in Member States bordering Russia, which face new logistical challenges.¶
- Notes that ports are a source of vulnerability and a high security risk, and should be particularly protected as critical facilities for Member States.¶¶
- Believes an open, fair and assertive trade policy and balanced trade agreements are key to port competitiveness, and that the Foreign Subsidies Regulation and autonomous tools are essential to preserve the European maritime industrial base.¶¶
- Calls for a consistent port strategy to ensure fair competition, more cooperation between ports, and an end to harmful practices such as underpricing; expresses concern about unfair competition from non-EU ports exempt from the Emissions Trading System.¶¶
- Stresses the need for effective enforcement of EU legislation, sufficient resources for border and customs authorities, and investment and training for port operators, including for the Fit for 55 package and hydrogen imports.¶¶
- Recalls the EU aim to import 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030 and calls for a comprehensive importation, coordination and infrastructure strategy, with EU programmes supporting ports as hubs.¶¶
- Calls for increased vigilance and EU coordination on foreign ownership or control of ports, thorough scrutiny of foreign investments, and avoidance of investments from state-backed companies or subsidies that enable control over port management.¶¶
- Underlines that Chinese state-owned companies have sought majority or controlling stakes in European ports, estimated to include total or partial control over 14 ports in the EU and 10 % of European shipping activities, and insists on reciprocity and rules-based EU-China trade.¶
- Calls for an EU-wide reciprocity review mechanism, refusal of access to ships whose last or next port of call is in Russia except for justified humanitarian reasons, and an end to preferential tax treatment for liner shipping companies to prevent oligopoly.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- European ports and port authorities: would face more EU-level coordination, security guidelines and scrutiny of foreign investment.¶¶
- Liner shipping companies: would lose preferential tax treatment immediately under the suggested strategy.¶
- Member States bordering Russia: their ports would receive special EU attention for logistical challenges.¶
- Ukrainian ports and terminals: would be treated as part of the European port and trade system and play a role in reconstruction and grain transit.¶¶
- Customs and border control authorities: would need sufficient resources and harmonised controls across all European ports.¶¶