COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy
Date: 2026-03-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Subjects: EU industrial policy, EU strategy, circular economy, clean technology, competitiveness, defence industry, digital technology, financing, innovation, maritime transport, shipbuilding

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.3.2026  COM(2026) 111 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy  
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION  

Europe is a waterborne continent. The European Union and its Member States steward 
the  world’s  largest  collective  maritime  area,  with  25  million  km²  Exclusive  Economic 
Zones (EEZs)1. The Union has one of the world’s longest coastlines, spanning 70,000 km 
across 22 Member States and a 42,000 km network of inland waterways, with thousands 
of  ports,  marinas,  shipyards  and  suppliers,  underscoring  the  need  to  further  leverage 
Europe’s waterborne single market potential.  

Europe’s maritime manufacturing2 and shipping3 industries are strategic sectors for 
Europe’s  autonomy,  resilience,  defence,  economic  security,  prosperity,  decarbonisation 
and the sustainable use and protection of its EEZs assets and resources. Europe’s maritime 
manufacturing sector is  a global leader in complex, high-end shipbuilding and advanced 
technologies. It drives innovation for sustainable waterborne transport and blue economy 
activities and is a cornerstone of regional industrial growth.  Europe’s shipping sector is a 
leading provider of maritime services worldwide, it ensures supplies of essential goods, 
enables trade and  contributes to the EU  energy independence. It  also  determines, along 
with  other  waterborne  segments,  demand  for  maritime  manufacturing  products  and 
services, and shapes technological choices.   

Both sectors are key to enhancing the Union’s and Member States’ military capacity by 
facilitating the movement of troops and delivering naval and dual-use civilian and military 
vessels. They  are  also  critical  for  the  deployment  and  protection  of  the  EU  digital  and 
offshore  energy  infrastructure,  such  as  pipelines,  electricity  and  data  cables  and  wind 
farms.  Other  subsegments,  such  as  cruise  and  nautical  tourism,  have  an  important 
innovation potential to enhance their sustainability. 

This waterborne ecosystem faces challenges. The Draghi4 and Niinistö5 reports highlight 
its exposure to intense global competition and tensions, increasing dependencies on third-
country ship production and financing, decarbonisation, and ageing workforces in need of 
upskilling and reskilling.  

Europe  needs  a  policy  framework  that  safeguards  and  boosts  its  maritime 
manufacturing  and  shipping  industries,  enhances  their  innovation  capacity,  advances 
digitalisation,  sustainability  and  decarbonisation  as  sources  of  industrial  opportunities, 
drives technological leadership and strengthens their competitiveness. Together with ports, 
these industries are essential for the EU’s positioning in the volatile geopolitical arena and 
for the EU’s strategic autonomy, economic security and preparedness. The Commission is 
therefore also proposing – together with this industrial maritime strategy – an EU ports 
strategy.  

1 Including across EU outermost regions  
2 The notion of “maritime manufacturing” encompasses a broad range of industrial activities and services including: 1) 
the building, repair, maintenance, conversion, retrofitting, dismantling and recycling of seagoing and inland navigation 
vessels, boats, floating platforms and other specialised surface and underwater units 2) the production of equipment and 
technologies for maritime, port and blue economy activities.   
3 The term “shipping” includes all segments of both freight and passenger transport services by sea, including coastal, 
short-sea and deep-sea shipping, specialised shipping services as well as both tramp and liner shipping business models 
4 The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi (2024) 
5 Strengthening Europe’s civil and military preparedness and readiness: Report by Special Adviser Niinistö (2024)  

 
 
 
The moment to act is now. This EU industrial maritime strategy, building on the Clean 
Industrial Deal and various related EU initiatives6, sets out a vision and a course of action 
under six pillars:  

2. BUILD, EQUIP & REPAIR  

A  strong  maritime  manufacturing  sector7  is  strategic  for  Europe’s  sovereignty.  It  gives 
Europe the ability to build and maintain vessels, equipment, platforms and technologies 
needed  to  promote  and  protect  its  vital  interests:  from  energy  independence,  climate 
resilience and food supply8 to border protection, defence, critical infrastructure protection, 
military mobility, ocean observation and Arctic navigation9.  

Preserving a critical mass of commercial shipbuilding in the EU is key for sustaining naval 
shipbuilding,  given  the  strong  dual-use  interlinkages  and  cross-fertilisation10.  It  is  also 
important  for  maintaining  viable  supply  chains  in  Europe,  securing  control  of  key 
technologies and know-how. This is essential to foster jobs, investment and innovation at 
regional level, including in peripheral areas, islands and outermost regions. Ship repair, 
maintenance, conversion, retrofitting and recycling capabilities are critical for advancing 
safety, decarbonisation and circularity of waterborne transport.   

2.1 EU maritime manufacturing: fostering growth and competitiveness in lead markets 

Today, Europe is still a global leader in some of the most technologically sophisticated ship 
types (e.g. cruise, naval, icebreakers, research vessels, submarine cable vessels, offshore 
wind support vessels, floating and converter platforms, yachts and recreational craft), clean 

6 Including a Competitiveness Compass for the EU (COM(2025) 30 final), the European Ocean Pact (COM(2025) 281 
final), the EU Maritime Security Strategy (14280/23), Water Resilience Strategy (COM(2025) 280 final) and the Zero 
Pollution Action Plan (COM(2021)400 final).  
7 Europe’s maritime manufacturing includes 300 shipyards and 28.000 maritime equipment manufacturers. A bottom-up 
analysis of the characteristics, needs, challenges and opportunities of the sector was carried out in the context of the 
Mobility Transition Pathway (2024). The recommendations of this exercise are reflected in this Strategy. 
8 Through e.g. specialized vessels, converter and floating platforms, foundation structures and electrical infrastructure 
for offshore renewable energy in general and specifically offshore wind energy, advanced dredgers enabling protection 
from  rising  sea  levels  and  river  flooding  and  vessels  for  sustainable  fishing  and  aquaculture  activities.  Specifically, 
regarding  fishing  vessels,  the  Commission  will  publish  a  roadmap  on  the  energy  transition  of  EU  fisheries  and 
aquaculture by Q3 2026, where it will guide the sector on the energy transition and gather insights and recommendations 
from the Energy transition partnership in EU fisheries and aquaculture 
9  Through patrol  and  naval  vessels,  submarine  cable  vessels,  dual use  vessels,  research  vessels,  technologies  for  the 
ocean exploration, observation, monitoring and surveillance, icebreakers and ice-capable vessels 
10  The  new  Joint  Communication  on  strengthening  EU  economic  security  (JOIN  (2025)977),  which  highlights  the 
importance of investing in a vibrant industrial base, specifically recognises shipbuilding as a strategic dual-use sectors   
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propulsion systems and advanced equipment. With 97% of the world’s fleet of cruise ships 
built in Europe, cruise production is key for Europe to maintain and enhance its complex 
shipbuilding  capabilities in  other segments that  are  essential from  a  strategic autonomy 
perspective.   

In other market segments, namely in merchant shipbuilding, European shipyards have over 
the last decades lost global market shares due to a distorted international market, affected 
by  massive  state  driven  investments  in  third  countries,  non-market  practices  as  well  as 
labour and energy cost differentials. While European shipyards have specialised in high-
value, low-volume markets, foreign competitors are entering these segments as well. EU 
industry  has  been  recently  losing  ground  to  countries  such  as  China  in  strategic 
shipbuilding segments, like ferries11 and offshore wind installation vessels.  Leadership in 
underwater vessels, maritime and port equipment is also increasingly challenged.  

To preserve Europe’s maritime manufacturing base and unleash its innovative potential, 
the EU and its Member States need to concentrate industrial policy efforts where the best 
results can be realistically achieved, i.e.  high-value segments with a strong industrial 
potential for manufacturing in the EU12.  

*SEA Europe Manifesto “Setting sail to build in Europe 10,000 sustainable and digitalised vessels by 2035” (2024) 

Reaching this ambition will require both supply and demand-driven measures and the right 
enabling  conditions,  including  close  public-private  cooperation.  To  this  end,  the 

11 Europe’s shipbuilding market share in number of large-size ferries (i.e. above 5,000 GT) delivered to the domestic 
(EU) market stood at 38% in 2020-24, averaging three ships delivered per year. A world leader until 2010, Europe’s 
global market share declined to around 15% in 2020-24 (from 60% in 2010). 
12 Decarbonisation, digitalisation, the expected expansion of offshore renewables deployment and emergence of new 
growth markets in the blue economy, such as underwater and ocean observation technologies, military mobility and the 
surge in defence investments provide opportunities to leverage and strengthen Europe’s maritime manufacturing base. 
For example, by 2030 the number of electrifiable ferries has been estimated to rise to up to 364, depending on factors 
such as battery energy density rates improvement and onshore power deployment rates. Between 2020 and 2050, two-
thirds of the current fleet of 12,000 inland navigation vessels operating in European waterways are estimated to undergo 
retrofitting and one-third will be new constructions (about 140 new vessels per year). 

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Commission will launch an EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance to strengthen 
Europe’s industrial sovereignty and technological leadership in selected lead markets in 
maritime  manufacturing  and  emerging  technologies.  The  Alliance  will  bring  together 
stakeholders from the waterborne ecosystem as well as national and regional authorities.  
It will pave the way towards identifying business cases for industrial activities in Europe, 
facilitating joint roadmaps and project pipelines in identified areas. The Alliance will also 
work  on  supporting  the  EU  and  Member  States  in  aligning  investment  priorities, 
identifying supplementary incentives to foster demand and synergies across the value chain 
in Europe and coordinate EU support mechanisms with national projects.    

2.2 Modernising the EU maritime production base  

By 2030 the European industry needs to further advance towards smart and clean 
leveraging  digitalisation,  advanced  robotics,  artificial 
maritime  manufacturing, 
intelligence, modularity, energy efficiency, and circularity in industrial processes. This is 
essential for making maritime manufacturing in Europe more resilient and cost-efficient, 
mitigating looming labour shortage challenges, enhancing productivity and expanding the 
operational capacity of industrial facilities.  

In small and medium size shipyards the use of innovative manufacturing technologies 
needs to increase, when it comes to materials, processes, AI and skills. The Commission is 
therefore rolling out a “Shipyards of the future” R&I Flagship Call13 to support testing 
and demonstration of  such  technologies in  real  life shipyard ecosystem,  with  a view to 
further replicating and scaling results.  

Bottlenecks concerning administrative permissions can limit shipyards’ ability to expand 
or modernise facilities or install decarbonisation technologies, such as infrastructure for 
clean  fuel  bunkering  or  dockside  electrification.  The  recently  proposed  Regulation  on 
speeding up environmental assessment14 and the European Grids Package can accelerate 
electrification  of  industrial  sites  including  in  port  areas,  such  as  ship  repair  and 
maintenance facilities and should be adopted by the co-legislators as soon as possible.   The 
proposed Industrial Accelerator Act will simplify and speed up permitting procedures, 
including for maritime manufacturing facilities.  

Finally,  the  Commission  will  explore  with  stakeholders,  in  the  EU  Industrial  Maritime 
Value  Chains  Alliance,  ways  to  optimise  cross-border  production  and  supply  chain 
synergies, promoting standardisation where economies of scale  can be achieved, e.g. to 
reduce costs and roll out time of certain components for next generation vessels.  

2.3 Leverage public procurement and funding in support of EU industrial leadership  

A strategic use of public procurement can help foster demand for clean, innovative Made 
in EU goods and services, including key strategic vessels in lead markets15 critical for the 
EU’s resilience and economic security.  

The Commission will work with EU/EEA Member States to identify and facilitate a multi-
year, aggregated pipeline of public orders across EU/EEA public buyers to create a 
long-term  aggregated  public  demand  signal  in  relevant  segments  (e.g.  ferries,  research 

13 Horizon Europe 2026-27 Work Programme - CL5-2026-05-D5-12). Indicative budget: EUR 21.00 million. 
14 Proposal for a revised Dir. to accelerate permit-granting procedure of infra projects (COM(2025) 1007 final). 
15  Examples  potentially  include  direct  acquisition of  ferries  for  local,  urban  and  island  transport,  oceanographic  and 
research vessels, icebreakers, workboats, pollution control vessels, search & rescue vessels, training and salvage vessels, 
component procurement, repair and specialised services as naval, patrol and coastguard assets and technologies 

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vessels,  icebreakers,  tugs,  drones16)  and  facilitate  the  readiness  of  Europe’s  maritime 
manufacturing sector to fulfil such demand.  

In  the  context  of  the  upcoming  revision  of  the  EU  public  procurement  framework,  the 
Commission  will  propose  targeted  non-price  requirements,    in  compliance  with 
international obligations, in selected strategic public procurement segments, in support of 
EU’s industrial resilience and economic security objectives.  

In  addition,  the  Commission  will  assess  external  dependencies  and  needs  for  non-price 
criteria for procuring specialised vessels in the design of auctioning conditions for strategic 
maritime, renewable energy or underwater projects.  

Public funding can also strengthen private demand for smart and clean products, promoting 
innovation and value creation in the EU. To this end, targeted EU preference conditions 
to protect strategic technologies and capabilities in line with international commitments, 
have  been  included  in  the  proposals  for  the  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  (2028-
2034), and in particular in the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) proposal.  

The  new  Joint  Communication  on  strengthening  EU  economic  security17  strongly 
encourages the Member States, the EIB group and other international financial institutions 
as well as  national  promotional  banks that are implementing national  or EU budgets  to 
integrate economic security considerations in funding decisions18.     

2.4 Ensure fair competition with third countries 

The Commission aims to ensure fair competition globally and protect Europe’s maritime 
manufacturing  industry  from  harmful  trade  practices,  such  as  predatory  pricing,  non-
market-oriented  subsidisation,  Intellectual  Property  Rights’  (IPRs)  violation  and  forced 
technology transfers in third countries. 

The  Commission  will  launch  a  structured  dialogue  with  the  EU  maritime 
manufacturing industry, possibly in the context of the Industrial Maritime Value Chains 
Alliance, with a view to further enhancing its intelligence capabilities to monitor global 
shipbuilding policy and market developments, strategic risks, threats to and opportunities 
for supply chain resilience as well as market access barriers in third countries. To this end, 
the  Commission  will  inter  alia  leverage  the  new  EU  Industrial  Maritime Value  Chains 
Alliance  as  well  as  its  EU  delegations’  network  and  the  new  Economic  Security 
Information  Hub,  as  announced  in  the  new  Joint  Communication  on  strengthening  EU 
economic  security19.  This  will  help  better  detect  and  identify  areas  where  unfair  trade 
practices in third countries are, or may become, harmful to EU shipyards and equipment 
manufacturers and inform potential trade measures or actions to ensure fair competition.  

When  it  comes  to  better  protecting  the  industry  from  harmful  trade  practices,  the 
Commission will: 

•  Assess  options  and  propose  where  necessary  and  feasible  a  new  sector-specific 
instrument20,  or  targeted  amendments  to  its  trade  policy  toolbox,  in  line  with 

16   Taking into account and in synergy with the establishment of the multi-purpose EU Cable Vessels Reserve Fleet in 
line with the EU Action Plan on Cable Security (JOIN/2025/9 final) and with relevant actions under the Action plan on 
drone security and counter-drone security (COM(2026) 81 final). 
17 (JOIN (2025)977) 
18 This includes prioritising support to EU business that reduce foreign dependencies in critical sectors and preventing 
third country high-risk suppliers from accessing EU and national funding 
19 (JOIN (2025)977) 
20  Considering that Regulation (EU) 2016/1035 on protection against injurious pricing of ships cannot be applied due to 
non-ratification of the 1994 OECD Shipbuilding Agreement.  

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international  obligations.  Options  will  focus  on  specific  segments  key  to  Europe’s 
strategic autonomy and economic security and where EU shipyards are still active but 
are experiencing unfair oversea competition21. 

•  Leverage  existing  and  future  trade  and  investment  agreements  to  protect  and 
promote  the  interests  of  the  EU  maritime  manufacturing  base,  including  through 
market access, anti-subsidy, transparency obligations and IPR protection provisions. 
•  Relaunch  efforts  towards  a  future  international  agreement  in  the  area  of 

shipbuilding that would tackle non-market practices in the sector.   

The Commission will continue to foster a level playing field in export credits for ships by 
further developing the Ships Sector Understanding (SSU)22 in the OECD Arrangement 
on Officially Supported Export Credits, including through specific provisions for zero 
and  low  emission  ships.  The  Commission  will  equally  work  towards  supporting  EU 
shipyards,  equipment  manufacturers  and  service  providers  on  third  country  markets 
through the creation of a new EU-level financing tool for Export Credits23. 

2.5 Strengthen the global ship recycling framework and advance maritime circularity 

Ship  recycling  allows  valuable  materials  such  as  steel,  copper,  and  aluminium  to  be 
recovered  and  reused,  reducing  the  need  for  virgin  resource  extraction  and  supporting 
circular economy principles. Over 16,000 ships are projected to be recycled over the next 
decade. The Commission will aim to strengthen the Hong Kong Convention on Ship 
Recycling24 to offer an updated, more robust global framework. Ultimately, the objective 
is  to  reach  full  alignment  between  international  rules  and  the  EU  Ship  Recycling 
Regulation and ensure safe, sustainable and responsible recycling practices internationally.  

Additionally, the Commission will explore ways to support the expansion of domestic EU 
ship recycling capacity by making it more cost-efficient and work with trading partners 
with ship-recycling capacity, starting with India, to foster high environmental and social 
standards,  building  on  the  EU  Ship  Recycling  Regulation.  As  recycled  materials  will 
become  increasingly  valuable  for  green  EU  production,  the  Commission  is  prepared  to 
assist  stakeholders  in  developing  EU  cradle-to-cradle  approaches  in  maritime  industry 
across  steelmaking,  shipbuilding,  and  ship  and  scrap  recycling  clusters  in  Europe25, 
fostering industrial synergies, opportunities and best environmental practices.  

The Commission will continue supporting maritime circularity strategies from design 
to  end-of-life  and  material  recovery  through  R&I  support26.  The  roadmap  on  the 
implementation  of  the  circular  economy  for  end-of  life  recreational  boats27,  which  sets 
targets to reach by 2030, will guide further efforts in this area. 

21  E.g. ship types that are essential for military mobility and safety of supplies in times of crises, such as ferries and 
inland navigation vessels, as well as specialised ships that are key for safeguarding Europe’s offshore energy and digital 
infrastructure 
22  This means establishing a level playing field (whereby competition is based on price and quality of the ships and not 
on the financial terms provided), and working to eliminate trade distortions related to officially supported export credits. 
23  This  new  tool  would  provide  EU  financial  support  to  EU  national  Export  Credit  Agencies  to  enhance  the 
competitiveness of their financial offers, including to international buyers of ships.   
24 Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships (2009) 
25 Potentially as part of the new EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance  
26 Building also on tools such as passports enabling a full lifecycle and material traceability system of ships and Shipyard 
Environmental Performance Indexes as developed under EU-funded projects Circle of Life and EcoShipYards 
27 Roadmap on the implementation of the circular economy for end-of-life recreational boats, developed in 2023 by the 
European Boating Industry in cooperation with the Commission 

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Flagship actions 

•  Launch an EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance to foster leadership in lead 

markets  

•  Support European shipyards’ digital, clean and circular transformation (“Shipyards 

of the Future”) 

•  Leverage public procurement and EU funding as proposed in the MFF, in support of 
EU industrial  leadership, including through public  orders’  pipelines and  targeted 
non-price and economic security criteria  

•  Actions to ensure fair competition internationally for EU shipyards and equipment 
manufacturers, including export credits for ships and where necessary and feasible 
sector-specific trade measures 

3.  TRANSPORT & CONNECT  

Maritime transport as a strategic sector carries around 75% of the EU’s external trade and 
30%  of  intra-EU  freight. The  EU-controlled  fleet  is  the  world’s  largest,  accounting  for 
more than one third of global shipping tonnage across all segments. European operators 
maintain strong market positions in containerised and bulk transport, energy transport and 
highly specialised maritime services. Maritime passenger and freight connections are vital 
for EU islands and outermost regions, ensuring territorial cohesion and supporting local 
communities and tourism. Fleets that are EU-flagged and EU-controlled are internationally 
recognised  for  their  exemplary  standards  in  safety  and  security,  innovation,  and 
environmental performance28.  

At the same time, the EU maritime transport sector is operating in an increasingly complex 
environment  of  disruptions  and  political  volatility,  energy  transition  costs,  an  ageing 
workforce  and  intense  global  competition,  particularly  from  East  and  Southeast  Asia. 
Recent geopolitical developments have underscored yet again its strategic importance for 
the global trade of energy and goods. At the same time, they have highlighted the sector’s 
growing  exposure  to  international  security  challenges,  which  pose  significant  risks  to 
freedom of navigation, but even more importantly - to the safety of vessels and their crews, 
and lead to increased transport and insurance costs.  

Against this backdrop, this strategy seeks to safeguard the sector as a key provider of high-
quality, efficient, secure and sustainable shipping services, while creating better conditions 
for the EU’s manufacturing base.  

Delivering  on  the  objectives  of  this  strategy  requires  a  coherent  policy  and  regulatory 
framework and cooperation at Union and national level. The European Maritime Safety 
Agency  (EMSA)  serves  as  the  technical  and  operational  backbone  of  the  Union’s 
maritime  transport  policy.  It  plays  a  key  role  in  harmonised  implementation  and 
facilitates  innovative and efficient solutions, including through its extensive knowledge 
base. It will also be key in supporting the implementation of regulatory actions set out in 
this strategy. Furthermore, EMSA provides technical assistance and support in capacity-
building to maritime authorities in the Mediterranean.29 3.1 Ownership and flags  

28 IMO maritime safety and environmental protection conventions are transposed into the EU acquis. Member States are 
legally bound to apply them together with the EU specific rules, often under more stringent requirements than in other 
regions of the world 
29 with the NDICI-Global Europe funded programme SAFEMED V 

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Maintaining a substantial share of maritime assets and enhancing the attractiveness of EU 
flags will underpin the EU’s position in global trade and safeguard lines of communication. 
It  will  also  strengthen  the  EU’s  ability  to  shape  global  norms  and  policies  on  safety, 
security, labour, climate and environmental protection.  

In this context the Commission will  continue to rely on the Community guidelines on 
State aid to maritime transport30 to assess Member States’ support schemes (e.g. tonnage 
tax),  which  are  a  key  tool  for  retaining  the  market  shares  and  competitiveness  of  the 
domestic shipping sector and increasing the attractiveness of Member States’ flags in the 
face  of  intense  global  competition.  The  Commission  urges  Member  States  to  further 
advance  pragmatic  measures  such  as  making  national  administrative  processes  more 
efficient 31, pursuing digital certificates, full digitalisation of registries, and using AI-driven 
tools  to  optimise  procedures.  On  its  side,  the  Commission  will  establish  a  structured 
cooperation dialogue with Member States and industry stakeholders aimed at boosting 
competitiveness and quality shipping, including in the context of the implementation of 
international  and    EU  legislation  on  compliance  with  Flag  State  requirements,  The 
Commission,  together  with  Member  States,  will  continue  its  efforts  in  the  IMO  to 
strengthen the regulatory oversight of flag states to effectively fulfil their responsibilities. 

3.2 Energy transition and decarbonisation  

Advancing  the  maritime  sector’s  decarbonisation  and  pollution  reduction,  while 
maintaining its competitive edge, requires clear, predictable rules, including at global level. 
This  can  foster  innovation  and  leadership  in  a  rapidly  evolving  shipping  market  and 
stimulate demand for clean fuels and technologies in Europe.  

The  clean  transition  will  require  a  combination  of  enhanced  energy  efficiency  and  the 
adoption of new propulsion technologies and alternative fuels. To create the conditions for 
a massive production and uptake of such fuels in hard-to-abate sectors, the Commission 
has  unveiled  the  Sustainable  Transport  Investment  Plan  (STIP)32.  For  maritime 
transport, this will translate in the increased use of renewable and low carbon fuels and 
direct electrification, where feasible33. In this context, the Commission will also pursue an 
integrated  market  for  biomethane,  while  calling  upon  Member  States  to  ensure  that 
national measures do not introduce indirect barriers to cross-border trade in bio-methane 
or limit its  availability within the single market. The Renewable and  Low Carbon Fuel 
Alliance  will  encourage  discussions  between  shipowners,  the  sustainable  fuels  industry 
and  financial  institutions  to  advance  the  production  and  supply  of  renewable  and  low-
carbon fuels in the waterborne sector. 

Fuel EU Maritime and the inclusion of the shipping sector in EU ETS underscore the EU’s 
commitment to shaping the clean transition of shipping, with a clear pathway for the sector 
to meet the EU decarbonisation targets. To further facilitate the implementation of these 
acts  and  reduce  regulatory  and  administrative  complexity  arising  from  the  current 
inconsistencies  and  overlaps,  the  Commission  will  consider  how  to  simplify  and 
streamline  the  existing  monitoring,  reporting  and  verification  framework  (MRV), 

30 C(2004) 43, OJ 2004 
31 Such as quality and smooth administration, risk-based approach, reduced waiting times, streamlined inspections 
32 COM(2025) 664 final 
33 Onshore power supply, electric ferries and short sea shipping 

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serving both EU ETS Maritime and FuelEU Maritime, delivering further synergies in the 
MRV compliance process34.  

The most effective way to address climate impacts from maritime transport and ensure a 
level-playing field is through ambitious global action, which would implement the IMO 
2023 Strategy target for international shipping to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. 
The EU will pursue the work within the IMO and build bridges with international 
partners  to  work  towards  global  solutions,  supporting  the  commitment  of  the  EU 
shipping sector to decarbonise and the investments already made towards achieving this 
goal. In line with the existing legal commitments, the Commission will revise relevant EU 
legislation  taking  into  consideration  global  measures  at  IMO  in  order  to  avoid  double 
payment.  

The Commission will also facilitate cooperation between  stakeholders by creating a 
European  network  of  green  shipping  lanes  and  hubs.  This  will  build  on  existing 
initiatives,  including  the  strategies  on  different  sea  basins  and  the  European  Maritime 
Space35.  The  aim  is  to  increase  predictability  for  investment  decisions  and  coordinate 
sustainability projects on vessels operation, technology deployment, fuel supply and port 
infrastructure36. Where relevant, such action could involve EU candidate countries, based 
on the existing legal frameworks, such as the trans-European transport network37. 

3.3 Safety - a pillar of high-quality shipping and resilience  

Safety  is  a  strategic  enabler  of  high-quality  shipping  services  and  a  cornerstone  of  the 
competitiveness and technological leadership of the EU manufacturing sector. As shipping 
rapidly transitions to using alternative fuels, digitalisation and automation, safety protocols 
must evolve to manage new operational, technological and cybersecurity risks. The ageing 
of  the  EU-flagged  passenger  fleet  further  underlines  the  need  of  accelerating  fleet 
modernisation38.  

At  global  level,  IMO  safety  standards  must  keep  pace  with  technological  progress, 
including  on  alternative  fuels  and  propulsion  systems,  energy-efficiency  technologies, 
seafarer  training  and  automated  maritime  transport.  The  EU  will  strengthen  its 
engagement in IMO to shape these standards, which will also help  ensure a global 
level playing field.  

In the EU, a high level of maritime safety is ensured through the incorporation of IMO 
regulations into EU law. In 2026, the Commission will report on the EU Passenger Ship 
Safety Directive39 and the Marine Equipment Directive40 in preparation of their review, 
with  the  aim  of  adapting  the  current  requirements  to  the  decarbonisation  and 
digitalisation challenges. In light of the critical importance of passenger ship safety and 

34  For instance, with regard to aligning applicable definitions and design elements and processes 
35 The European Maritime Space is a maritime dimension of the trans-European transport network 
36 Port infrastructure development is key to the energy transition and decarbonisation and is addressed in the EU Ports 
Strategy 
37 Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union guidelines for 
the development of the trans-European transport network, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1153 and (EU) No 913/2010 
and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013  
38 As highlighted in the EMSAFE report published by EMSA in December 2025. 
39 Directive 2009/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on safety rules and standards for 
passenger ships 
40  Directive  2014/90/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  July  2014  on  marine  equipment  and 
repealing Council Directive 96/98/EC 

9 

 
 
 
secure regional connectivity, the Commission will consider extending EU passenger ship 
safety  requirements  to  all  intra-EU  routes.  Regarding  offshore  services,  the 
Commission  will  examine  the  feasibility  of  an  EU  framework  for  the  mutual 
recognition  of  offshore  service  and  industrial  vessels,  including  for  the  transport  of 
industrial  personnel  or  crews  and  for  submarine  cable  laying  and  maintenance.  The 
Commission  will  also  assess whether  to extend  the scope of  the  Marine Equipment 
Directive  or  existing  mutual  recognition  arrangements  between  recognised 
organisations  to  cover  additional  equipment.  The  aim  would  be  to  simplify  approval 
processes and improve access to international markets, while ensuring the highest level of 
safety. 

Significant challenges to maritime safety and environmental issues are related to the so-
called 'shadow fleet’41, largely composed of ageing vessels under unclear jurisdiction and 
control, that often operate outside normal flag transparency and compliance practices. This 
among  others  poses  heightened  risks  to  the  marine  environment  including  for  areas 
designated  as  particularly  sensitive,  such  as  Baltic  Sea.  The  Commission,  in  close 
cooperation with the EEAS, and with the support of EMSA, will strengthen surveillance 
and monitoring of the shadow fleet42 and improve the enforcement of existing rules. 
Furthermore,  it  will  deepen  international  cooperation  to  close  remaining  loopholes  and 
uphold global maritime safety and environmental standards, including the enforcement of 
restrictive measures. 

3.4  Simplifying  administrative  formalities  to  leverage  Europe’s  waterborne  single 
market potential 

The  complexity  of  administrative  procedures  arising  from  global,  EU  and  national 
legislation poses a significant challenge for EU shipping, causing delays, increasing costs, 
and  reducing  overall  efficiency43.  This  situation  notably  impacts  short  sea  shipping,  in 
particular smaller players, in the modal competition with road transport. 

The procedures are expected to  become significantly easier when harmonised reporting 
through  the  European  Maritime  Single  Window  environment  (EMSWe)44,  is  fully 
implemented.  The  Commission  calls  on  Member  States 
the 
implementation of the EMSWe Regulation.  

to  complete 

At broader scale, the Commission has proposed an ambitious customs reform that should 
foster efficient public private cooperation for the implementation of customs formalities 
across economic sectors, including maritime. According to the proposal, a Customs Data 
Hub45  will  be  available  to  maritime  operators  from  2032.  To  facilitate  trade,  the 
Commission  will  pursue  a prompt  interconnectivity between  the Maritime National 
Single Windows and the future Customs Data Hub.  

41 Defined by IMO in Resolution A.1192(33), adopted on 6 December 2023 
42  In  December  2025  the  Council  approved  a  declaration  on  reinforcing  the  international  law  of  the  sea  framework 
relating to threats from the shadow fleet and the intention to develop tools to address the threats. 
43 According to the European Commission’s recent study on short-sea shipping, administrative formalities may account 
for up to 5% of a vessel’s total operational costs 
44 Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a European 
Maritime Single Window environment and repealing Directive 2010/65/EU 
45 The Customs Data Hub would be a set of electronic services and systems to use data for customs purposes and allow 
for the electronic implementation of customs legislation. 

10 

 
 
 
 
While the above measures facilitate compliance, it remains equally key to reduce the data 
that ships must report when they call at EU ports. Currently ships can be required to submit 
up to 1,200 data elements, two thirds of which stem from national laws46. With the aim of 
harnessing the full potential of Europe's waterborne single market, the Commission calls 
on Member States to work jointly towards simplifying and streamlining national and 
EU reporting requirements.  

The Commission will consult the maritime industry on identifying further simplification 
of administrative procedures and data requirements. 

3.5 Pursuing EU interests at international level 

As a major economic power, the EU's involvement in international shipping is pivotal, not 
only for supporting its own economic growth but also for steering global maritime policies 
towards level playing field, sustainability, security, and technological innovation.  

The Commission will therefore, together with the EU Member States, intensify its efforts 
in  IMO  and  will  seek  to  maximise  EU  impact  through  broader  alliances  with 
international partners. 

For supply chain resilience, maritime chokepoints (i.e. critical nodes for global trade and 
military mobility) and emerging routes such as in the Arctic47 deserve particular attention. 
The Commission urges Member States to step up collaboration and allocate sufficient 
resources  to  bolster  the  EU’s  strategic  presence,  including  naval,  in  these  critical 
areas, to ensure continuity in access to international maritime transport routes, so as to 
protect Union’s security. Furthermore, concerned Member States should be able to seek 
support, from other Member States or the EEAS, to assist, via diplomatic channels, ships 
flying their flag that are detained or at risk to be detained, as circumstances require. 

The  Commission  remains  firmly  committed  to  the  inclusion  of  comprehensive 
commitments on international maritime transport services in free trade agreements. 
These efforts should improve market access conditions and non-discriminatory treatment 
for  EU  operators  in  third  countries,  including  access  to  ports  and  the  use  of  auxiliary 
services48. Overall, the EU could seek more balanced and reciprocal commitments in 
its  maritime  trade  policy,  in  particular  from  partners  that  impose  restrictions  such  as 
cargo reservation schemes and discriminatory port fees. 

Member  States  need  a  predictable  legal  framework  to  ensure  compliance  with  EU  law 
when managing their bilateral maritime partnerships49. The Commission will propose 
legislation setting conditions for Member States to declare existing bilateral agreements 
compatible with EU law and to negotiate and conclude new agreements that advance EU 
interests. 

EU shipping companies need reliable and competitively priced access to alternative fuels 
and  infrastructure  along  global  routes  and  hubs.  The  Global  Gateway  Green  Shipping 

46 Own analysis 
47 Through the forthcoming review of Union’s Arctic policy 
48 Such as cargo-handling (including container terminals), storage and warehousing services, agency activities and freight 
forwarding 
49 In light of CJEU’s 2017 Singapore Opinion, which confirmed that the EU holds exclusive competence to negotiate 
and conclude international maritime transport services agreements where such agreements may affect or alter existing 
EU rules. 

11 

 
 
 
Corridors and Hubs initiative50 advances the uptake of clean and alternative fuels through 
win-win  partnerships  with  third  countries.  To  safeguard  investments  and  protect  EU 
interests in international supply chains, the Commission will integrate security and safety 
requirements  into  the  development  of  Global  Gateway  port  and  value  chain 
partnerships  with  developing  countries.  It  will  further  reinforce  this  approach  by 
deepening partnerships with developed third countries hosting key global shipping hubs. 

In  the  context  of  the  Pact  for  the  Mediterranean,51  the  Commission  will  promote  the 
development  of  efficient  and  sustainable  transport  links  and  enhanced  security  of  the 
Union.- 

3.6 Support for the inland navigation, cruise and boating industry sectors 

To  fully  harness  the  untapped  potential  of  inland  waterway  transport  (IWT)  within  the 
European  transport  system,  the  European  Commission  will  propose  a  follow-up  to  the 
NAIADES III programme. This initiative will focus on addressing critical challenges to 
IWT  competitiveness,  including  the  modernisation  of  inland  ports,  the  enhancement  of 
infrastructure resilience, and the adoption of innovative technologies, such as automated 
systems and zero- or low-emission vessels. 

The  EU’s  upcoming  sustainable  tourism  strategy  will  continue  to  promote  the 
sustainable growth of the tourism ecosystem, including the cruise and boating industries 

Flagship actions 

•  Pursue  work  within  the  IMO  towards  global  solutions  and  revise  relevant  EU 
legislation  taking  into  consideration  global  measures  at  IMO  in  order  to  avoid 
double payment  

•  Consider how to simplify the monitoring, reporting and verification framework for 
EU  ETS  and  FuelEU  Maritime  and  streamline  administrative  formalities  for 
shipping operations 

•  Pursue  global  ambition,  including  through  reinforced  engagement  at  IMO  work, 
foster strategic partnerships with third countries and ensure smooth functioning of 
global maritime markets  

4.  SECURE & PROTECT   

The  maritime  domain  faces  increasing  threats,  both  at  the  surface  level  and  on  the 
seabed. The threats underscore the need for robust naval, icebreaking, underwater and 
dual-use  capabilities  to  support  EU  defence,  Arctic  security,  critical  infrastructure 
protection and military mobility needs. Tackling these challenges can create opportunities 
for growth in the EU maritime industry, including by leveraging and fostering production 
of dual use vessels, platforms and technologies.  

4.1 Enhancing Europe’s naval industrial and technological base 

The  evolving  geopolitical  landscape  requires  the  development  of  cutting-edge  naval 
systems, ships and platforms capable of operating in an integrated manner in challenging, 

50 Global Gateway - International Partnerships - European Commission 
51 JOIN(2025) 26 final 

12 

 
 
 
multi-domain  threat  environments,  including,  where  necessary,  extreme  climatic  and 
geographical environments (e.g. the Arctic).  

To reach the defence readiness objectives for 2030, there is a compelling EU and national 
interest in scaling up naval production capacities52. Member States may use the different 
opportunities under the ReArm Europe Plan53, which aims to mobilise up to EUR 
800 billion in defence spending by 2030, to strengthen naval industrial and technological 
capabilities.  This  includes  supporting  the  development  of  standardised  interfaces  and 
protocols, facilitating interoperability between European navies, integrating systems from 
different manufacturers, and fostering strategic capability areas54.  

The European Defence Fund (EDF) will continue to strengthen the capacity of EU naval 
system integrators and equipment suppliers by supporting collaborative R&D topics in line 
with the Capability Development Plan priorities55.  

Furthermore, the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) will support the ramp-
up  of  industrial  production  capacities,  offsetting  the  cost  of  cooperation  in  joint 
procurement. It will also support moving from prototype to production at scale bridging 
European Defence Fund (EDF) supported R&D activities.  

4.2 Securing technological leadership in maritime domain awareness  

The  protection  of  critical  underwater,  port  and  offshore  infrastructure  requires  a  multi-
domain approach including technologies such as underwater and surface drones, sensors, 
early warning systems, underwater communication systems, launch and recovery systems, 
and  drone-carriers.  Closer  cooperation  between  governments  and  industry  is  needed  to 
create  complex  situational  awareness  architectures  integrating  advanced  technologies 
through a unique command and control system. This creates at the same time opportunities 
for anchoring EU maritime industrial leadership in an emerging, strategic segment. 

The  EU  Action  Plan  on  Cable  Security56,  which  outlines  the  development  of  an 
Integrated  Surveillance  Mechanism  for  Submarine  cables  per  sea  basin  hubs,  and  the 
Action Plan on drone and counter-drone security57, with industrial measures for drones 
such as a joint purchasing initiative, will help ensure timely threat detection and response 
capabilities.  

To strengthen EU-level maritime domain awareness from space to seabed and address 
missing capability gaps, it will be important to leverage Europe’s maritime industrial base, 

52 The Commission will assess the EU naval sector’s needs, its supply chain, the degree of dependency of the EU and 
need to maintain strategic inventories. A study is planned to be launched in Q3 2026 under Horizon Europe Working 
Program  2026-2027  (Scientific  and  technical  services  by  the  Joint  Research  Centre  (Resiliency  of  the  waterborne 
transport supply chain).  
53 JOIN(2025) 27 final 
54 Including dual use vessels and technologies, special purpose vessels for the maintenance of offshore and underwater 
infrastructures (e.g. cable-laying, maintenance and repairing ships) and sealift capabilities (e.g. ferries, icebreakers, 
hospital ships, crew support ships, offshore support vessels, dredgers, tugs) 
55 Naval combat and maritime interdiction in all the three key areas, namely the upgrade of current naval surface systems, 
next  generation naval  surface  combat  systems,  and  long-range  armed  manned  and  unmanned  maritime  systems.  For 
details, see EDA – The 2023 EU Capability Development Priorities 
56 JOIN/2025/9 final 
57 COM(2026)81 

13 

 
 
 
building  on  the  Ocean  Pact  and  other  existing  EU  initiatives58  in  this  area,  to  further 
support:  

• 

Increasing R&D of technologies and military/dual use systems for command, control, 
communication, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance  

•  Common procurement of unmanned sea drones and communications systems for naval 

• 

vessels, coast guard, and port authorities, ensuring coordination  
Investment  in  and  development  of  cybersecurity  solutions  and  integrated  systems 
combining  surveillance  capabilities  to  enable  a  comprehensive  and  coordinated 
approach to maritime security and port protection. 

In this regard, the Commission encourages Member States to make use of the opportunities 
offered by EDIP, in particular the possibility of establishing European Defence Projects 
of Common Interest, including in the area of maritime domain awareness.  

4.3 Supporting military mobility and emergency preparedness  

The Military Mobility  Joint  Communication59 underlines the role of  dual-use  transport, 
including  maritime,  in  enabling  military  mobility  and  emergency  preparedness.  It  also 
underscores  the  need  for  the  EU  to  expand  its  industrial  capacity  to  deliver  military 
mobility capabilities. In this respect, the dual use potential of European ferries is important. 
It can play a key role in the rapid and efficient transport of troops, vehicles, and equipment 
across short and medium sea routes as well as in evacuation and emergency relief. This 
will offer opportunities to rebuild domestic industrial capacity in this strategic segment and 
create a snowball effect for the maritime manufacturing base.  

To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  propose  to  pursue  a  dual-use  ferry  construction 
support mechanism60 to mobilise financial resources for investments linked to additional 
military specifications for dual-use ferries built in Europe and deployable on strategically 
important routes. As part of this programme, the Commission will work with the European 
Defence Agency, and potentially EMSA, as well as EU Military Staff, to develop standards 
for  dual-use  maritime  transport  assets,  complementing  the  proposed  Military  Mobility 
Regulation61 and ensuring consistency with NATO standards. 

The Commission will moreover pursue solid and binding IMO cybersecurity rules to 
reduce  general  maritime  cyber  risks  for  civilian  vessels  in  consistency  with  the 
respective EU measures, such as NIS2 Directive62, Cyber Resilience Act63 and the recent 
proposal  for  a  revised  Cybersecurity  Act64,  aimed  to further  strengthen  the  EU’s 
cybersecurity resilience and capabilities in the face of these growing threats. 

58 E.g. the EU Maritime Security Strategy (14280/23), the Common Information Sharing Environment for the maritime 
domain, the EU Action Plan on Cable Security, Action Plan on drone and counter-drone security, EMSA-hosted hubs 
and  the  EU  Space  Programme  (Regulation  (EU)  2021/696)  which  establishes  Copernicus,  Galileo,  EGNOS, 
GOVSATCOM and space safety services that support maritime navigation, surveillance, communications, and domain 
awareness.  
59 JOIN(2025) 846 final 
60 in line with relevant State aid rules where applicable   
61 SWD(2025) 847 final 
62 Directive (EU) 2022/2555 
63Regulation (EU) 2024/2847; the Act requires products with digital elements to comply with cybersecurity requirements. 
While marine equipment is excluded from its scope, it may still apply to the maritime sector for products not classified 
as marine equipment, such as software. 
64 COM(2026) 11 

14 

 
 
 
Flagship actions 

•  Support the ramp-up of  naval  industrial  production capacities, including  through 

the new European Defence Industry Programme and ReArm Europe Plan 

•  Propose to pursue a Dual Use Ferry Construction support programme 

5.  ACCESS TO INNOVATION  

Innovation  and  investment  in  advanced  technologies  such  as  clean  tech,  circularity, 
digitalisation,  automation,  AI  and  smart  ship  design  is  essential  to  boost  the 
competitiveness,  sustainability  and  resilience  of  both  EU  maritime  manufacturing  and 
shipping  sectors.  Therefore,  it  is  crucial  to  tackle  the  barriers  such  as  regulatory 
uncertainty, fragmentation of public and private R&I investment efforts and limited testing 
capacity.  

5.1 Enhance the policy framework to foster EU leadership in innovative technologies 

The future of the EU waterborne ecosystem will depend on the ability to identify and scale 
up  new  technological  solutions  in  clean  tech  and  digital  and  automated  systems  and 
provide targeted policy support to enhancing the EU industrial base.  

Technologies such as fuel cells, electric and wind propulsion, control of fugitive emissions, 
CO2  transport,  carbon  capture  and  storage,  shore-side  electricity  supply  and  offshore 
renewables65 are only some of the technologies that offer significant emissions-reduction 
potential and market opportunities. Most of them are recognised in the Net Zero Industry 
Act  (NZIA)  that  aims  by  2030  to  enhance  EU  manufacturing  capacity  for  net-zero 
technologies.  In  addition,  recent  studies  carried  out  by  EMSA  highlight  benefits  of  air 
lubrification, and IMO work has advanced on guidelines for batteries, advanced heat waste 
recovery, fuel cells and carbon capture and storage systems. 

Wind-assisted propulsion is an example of a technology that builds on strong European 
manufacturing expertise66. To support its uptake, the Commission will work to refine the 
methodology for accounting wind propulsion energy and address  regulatory gaps at EU 
and IMO level. 

In addition, nuclear propulsion, including small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced 
modular reactors (AMR) warrant coordinated strategic oversight in light of renewed global 
interest and early industrial developments. The Commission will pursue work towards a 
robust  policy  framework  enabling  use  of  nuclear  power  propulsion  in  commercial 
shipping67  and  contributing  to  achieve  a  global  technological  and  industrial  leadership 
position.  

The  Commission,  supported  by  EMSA,  will  coordinate  work  on  the  assessment  of 
technological developments, including technological readiness and safety.  To help de-risk 
investments  and  contribute  to  scaling  solutions,  promising  technological  developments 

65Such as offshore wind foundations and floaters, tidal stream energy, wave energy offshore substations and converters  
66 Over the past five years, this area has received more than EUR 36 million in Horizon Europe funding 
67 Including through a dedicated topic in the Horizon Europe Cluster 5 Work programme Call 2027 

15 

 
 
 
 
will be further assessed and reflected in EU law such as the FuelEU Maritime Regulation 
and the EU taxonomy68 as well as at IMO level as appropriate. 

The Commission will update, where needed, the EU single market framework to support 
innovation and clean tech deployment in specific maritime manufacturing segments. To 
this end, it will propose a targeted amendment to the regulation on non-road mobile 
machinery  emissions69  to  allow  hydrogen  as  reference  fuel  for  non-road  mobile 
machinery engines in inland navigation vessels. In addition, the ongoing evaluation of the 
recreational craft directive70 focuses on assessing the rules on novel watercraft and 
novel propulsion systems in this segment.  

To  advance  the  safe  deployment  of  autonomous vessels,  the  Commission  will  pursue  a 
regulatory and technical framework for unmanned shipping solutions  both  at  IMO 
and EU levels. Since 2016, EU work on maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) has 
contributed to the IMO MASS Code, to be adopted in 2026 and mandatory by 2032. Ahead 
of large-scale deployment  of autonomous ships, the Commission, supported by EMSA, 
will issue EU guidelines and best practices for designated tests and trials at sea as well 
as risk assessment71 to support implementation in Member States and contribute to EU 
tech leadership.   

5.2 Promoting synergies, coordination and addressing obstacles to the industrial scaling 
up of innovation 

To  strengthen  the  EU  technological  leadership,  the  Commission  will  seek  the 
reinforcement  of  public-private  cooperation  under  the  2028-2034  Horizon  Europe 
Framework Programme in priority areas and based on a portfolio approach. In waterborne 
transport,  this  will  build  upon  the  achievements  of  the  current  co-programmed  Zero 
Emission Waterborne Transport Partnership (ZEWTP) with a view of strengthening 
and expanding the EU action in this area, to foster synergies and scale effect between 
decarbonisation,  digitalisation,  automation  and  circularity  in  the  broader  waterborne 
ecosystem. 

The Commission  encourages Member States  to  further support the rapid uptake of 
innovation  including  tests  beds  and  regulatory  experimentation  contributing  to 
Europe’s  maritime  technological  leadership,  industrial  sovereignty  and  twin  transition 
objectives. The forthcoming EU Ocean R&I Strategy will improve testing processes for 
ocean  technologies,  such  as  underwater  robotics,  for  different  applications  to  help  EU 
manufacturers deploy them faster and cheaper.  

implementing 

the  European  Strategy  on  Research  and  Technology 
In 
Infrastructures72,  the  Commission  will  map  and  assess  research  and  technology 
infrastructures including for waterborne transport. It will also promote the access to such 
infrastructures for EU maritime start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and mid-caps.  

68 Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 of 4 June 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2020/852 
69 Regulation on requirements relating to gaseous and particulate pollutant emission limits and type-approval for internal 
combustion engines for non-road mobile machinery (Regulation (EU) 2016/1628) 
70 Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on recreational craft and 
personal watercraft and repealing Directive 94/25/EC Text with EEA relevance 
71 e.g. the Risk Based Assessment Tool (RBAT) developed by EMSA   
72 COM/2025/497 final/2 

16 

 
 
 
To help prevent EU-funded technology leakage, the Commission will address research 
and innovation security ensuring a systematic and rigorous enforcement of existing tools73 
and identify any remaining gaps.  

The Commission will launch the European Ocean Observation Initiative OceanEye, 
one of the cornerstones of the European Ocean Pact. Enhancing ocean observation and the 
development  of  related  technologies  will  create  new  opportunities  for  EU  maritime 
manufacturers. 

Flagship actions 

•  Update the regulatory framework to foster EU leadership in innovative technologies 

including wind propulsion, nuclear propulsion and autonomous ships.  

•  Strengthen and expand the scope of R&I support for waterborne sector, building on 
the  achievements  of  the  current  co-programmed  Zero-Emission  Waterborne 
Transport Partnership 

•  Launch the Ocean Observation Initiative (OceanEye)  

6. ACCESS TO FINANCE & INVESTMENT  

Recent  studies  estimate  annual  financing  needs  for  EU  vessel  fleet  decarbonisation  at 
between EUR 2.4 billion and EUR 8.5 billion. Significant investments needs have been 
identified  for  inland  navigation  vessels  and  specialised  segments,  like  offshore  wind 
vessels,  submarine  cable  vessels  or  emerging  ocean  technologies74.  The  digital 
transformation of EU shipyards is furthermore estimated to require between at least EUR 
3  billion  and  7.5  billion  investments.  Meeting  these  investment  needs  requires  the 
coordinated use of current and future EU funding, national measures, and actions to attract 
private capital across the entire investment journey. Dedicated advisory, matchmaking and 
project pipeline tools, such as the EU Ship Financing Portal, BlueInvest, Europe Enterprise 
Network (EEN), EIB Advisory through InvestEU Advisory Hub, Innovation Fund Project 
Development Assistance (IF PDA), will facilitate access to resources and create favourable 
conditions for financing projects.  

The  Commission  calls  on  the  Member  States,  financial  institutions,  and  national 
promotional  banks  to  enhance  support  to  waterborne  projects,  including  through 
guarantees for both ship construction and acquisition financing, in line with relevant State 
aid rules where applicable. 

6.1 Financing investments through EU instruments 

Over 2026 and 2027 the Commission will mobilise a wide range of available resources and 
existing  instruments  in  support  of  the  EU  waterborne  cluster,  including  maritime 
manufacturing and shipping, across the investment cycle.  

Targeted grants, effective risk-sharing mechanisms and innovative financial schemes are 
key  to  leverage  private  investments  in  the  sector.  In  this  regard,  the  Commission  will 
support the renewal and decarbonisation of the shipping fleet, with a particular focus 

73  The Commission can for example, in duly justified cases exclude certain third country entities or EU entities controlled 
by certain third countries from participating in research and innovation and digital capacities deployment projects to 
protect the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security. It can also assess the impact of the transfer of results 
of Horizon Europe (including intellectual property) generated by EU funded research to non-associated third countries 
and object to such transfers. 
74  European Investment Bank, European Blue Champions - Charting the course for innovation finance, 2025 

17 

 
 
 
on ferries and coastal vessels, under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) through a 
call in 2026. This action is conceived to pursue the transition of the EU shipping sector, 
while  fostering  the  development  of  the  European  Maritime  Space  as  well  as  domestic 
manufacturing capacity and made in EU technologies. Since 2014, CEF already provided 
support  for  different  type  of  vessels  and  interventions,  equal  to  EUR  220  million. 
Moreover,  in  February  2026,  the  Commission  amended  the  CEF  -  Digital  Work 
Programme  to  allocate  EUR  347  million  to  strategic  submarine  cable  projects, 
launching a EUR 20 million call for enhancing Europe's repair capacities.  

Through InvestEU, the Commission expects to mobilise around EUR 1-1.5 billion75 in 
investment in the waterborne sector by 2027 out of which one third will materialise in 
2026-2027,  including  for  fleet  renewal  and  retrofitting  throughout  all  stages  of 
development76.  A  promising  initiative  is  the  recently  established  equity-based  Atlante 
Marine Fund77. Furthermore, the Blue Economy product78, supported by InvestEU and 
the EMFAF79 and implemented by the EIB Group, provides venture capital and private 
equity investments to start-ups and SMEs, including in shipbuilding and retrofit, shipping 
and blue tech. It aims to mobilise approximately EUR 800 million in investment.  

For demonstration and pre-deployment, through the Innovation Fund, the Commission 
has committed 20 million EU ETS allowances (EUR 1.5 billion80) until 2030 to support 
emissions  reductions  and  advance  innovation  across  the  maritime  sector,  from  ports  to 
shipbuilding. Since 2020 the Fund has supported 13 maritime projects with around EUR 
600  million81.  Building  on  these  results,  and  as  part  of  the  commitment  to  dedicate  20 
million EU ETS allowances to the sector, the Commission will open, in 2027, a dedicated 
maritime call. The budget and scope of this call will be determined as appropriate by the 
Commission notably based on the remaining Innovation Fund budget and the ETS pricing. 
In  addition,  for  future  general  calls,  the  Commission  will  assess  the  Innovation  Fund’s 
implementation and its specific preference provisions for maritime projects so as to further 
enhance  the  decarbonisation  of  shipping.  Member  States  are  encouraged  to  leverage 
Innovation Fund resources through its “Auction as a Service” and “Grants as a Service” 
mechanisms, allowing to allocate additional national funds to support maritime projects. 

Under  Horizon  Europe,  the  Commission  has  already  allocated  EUR  345  million  in  the 
period 2021 – 2024. It will further allocate EUR 184.5 million to finance Research and 
Innovation (R&I) actions for waterborne transport until 202782, including EUR 159.5 
million to finance ZEWT and EUR 8 million for a topic on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells83.  For 

75 Investments areas already supported by InvestEU include low and zero emission ferries, offshore wind parks, uncrewed 
surface vessels for the offshore wind energy sector, wind assisted propulsion and underwater technologies. 
76 Including through scaling up cross-sectorial InvestEU products that can be used to support the SMEs and small mid-
caps in the shipping and shipbuilding sectors, including the Sustainability Guarantee and Digitalisation and Innovation 
Guarantee, managed by the European Innovation Fund (EIF). 
77  Supported by the European Investment Fund (EIF) through InvestEU programme and focused on facilitating the energy 
transition of fleets, especially for small and medium-sized owners 
78 Implemented by the European Investment Fund 
79 European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 
80 With a price of EUR 75 per EU allowance 
81 On top of this, the sector also benefits from the even larger budget dedicated to transport relevant e-fuel projects 
82 Through Horizon Europe WP 2025 and 2026-27 
83 HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-03-04: Multi-fuel SOFC powertrain for maritime transport 

18 

 
 
 
naval R&D84, EUR 130 million will be available under EDF calls currently open (2026) 
on  topics  such  as  enhanced  semi-autonomous  surface  vessels  and  seabed  infrastructure 
protection.  

the  next  Multiannual  Financial  Framework, 

In 
the  proposed  European 
Competitiveness  Fund  (ECF)  can  help  the  sector  get  EU  innovations  on  the  market. 
Under the ECF, the Commission could support investments in clean, digitalised vessels as 
well as innovation and modernisation of shipbuilding, offshore energy, and blue tech. The 
ECF could also support collaborative defence R&I and industrial scale-up as well as dual 
use  of  civilian-military  assets85.  The  ECF  financial  support  is  proposed  to  be  closely 
coordinated with funding under the future Horizon Europe programme86 ￼.  

The  EIB  Group,  that  lends  on  average87  EUR  600  million  per  year  for  projects  in  the 
broader  waterborne  transport,  including  shipping,  remains  committed  to  supporting  the 
sector’s financing needs and facilitating access to funding for businesses of all sizes88. The 
Group stands ready to ensure a credible pathway from innovation and pilot projects to full-
scale deployment, including through its TechEU programme89 supported by InvestEU.  

6.2   Leveraging support measures at European, national and regional level 

Shared-management  funds  implemented  by  Member  States  or  regions  can  support 
investments under the new MFF proposal via National and Regional Partnership Plans, in 
line with the objectives of this strategy90.  

Significant  and  dedicated  resources  for  financing  decarbonisation  can  be  mobilised 
through  the  EU  Emissions  Trading  System  (ETS)  revenues  auctioned  by  EU  Member 
States following the extension of the system to maritime. As Member States are legally 
required  to  use  revenues  from  the  EU  ETS  for  investment  in  climate  measures,  the 
Commission strongly encourages Member States to allocate a part of ETS revenues to 
maritime  decarbonisation  investments  across  the  maritime  cluster  in  Europe91.  To 
maximise impact and achieve synergy effects at EU level, including between shipowners, 
shipyards,  technology  and  fuel  suppliers  and  port  stakeholders,  the  Commission  will 
coordinate  Member  States’  efforts  and  facilitate  exchange  of  best  practices,  including 
possibly through guidelines. 

To further facilitate maritime decarbonisation and support EU’s industrial resilience and 
leadership, the Commission will consider under the forthcoming ETS review a dedicated 
EU mechanism to directly support shipping companies with ETS allowances for the 

84 Since 2019, a total EUR 1.1 billion have been earmarked and committed at EU level to boost naval capabilities. EDIDP 
/ PADR / EDF projects launched, in progress or completed (between 2019-2024) include 35 collaborative projects with 
€834.9  million  committed,  resulting  in  6  prototypes  and  10  more  expected  by  2030.  EUR  142  million  have  been 
earmarked under EDF calls with projects currently in selection (2025) 
85  E.g.  to  incentivise  the  procurement  of  dual  use  transport  equipment,  support  the  reinforcement,  modernisation, 
expansion and repurposing of industrial capacities for the production and maintenance of products contributing to and 
improving military mobility as well as training, reskilling, and upskilling of personnel. 
86 The collaborative research and innovation activities for the Competitiveness part of Pillar II of Horizon Europe will 
be integrated in a specific dedicated part of the work programmes under the European Competitiveness Fund. 
87 For the period 2015-2024 
88 Including in areas such as shipping, innovation, advanced manufacturing and defence 
89 TechEU - European innovators one-stop shop 
90 In line with relevant State aid rules where applicable 
91  Such  as production  and  uptake of  sustainable  fuels, improvement  of  the  energy  efficiency of  ships,  fleet  renewal, 
investments in innovative clean marine technologies, and sustainable infrastructure and OPS in ports. 

19 

 
 
 
uptake  of  sustainable  fuels  and  clean  propulsion  technologies  linked  to  targeted  EU 
preference criteria. 

The Commission calls on the Member States to leverage the new Clean Industrial Deal 
State Aid Framework (CISAF) to support investments in industrial decarbonisation and 
energy efficiency, including in maritime manufacturing facilities, as well as for expanding 
manufacturing capacity in maritime-relevant net-zero technologies92.   

The  forthcoming  Land  and  Multimodal  Transport  Guidelines  and  new  Transport 
Block Exemption Regulation will enable investment aid measures aimed at supporting 
inland  navigation  vessels’  fleet  renewal93  and  installation  of  cranes  on  board  of  inland 
vessels.  They  will  also  allow  for  operating  aid  measures  to  cater  for  external  costs 
reduction  when  switching  to  multimodal  options  including  short  sea  shipping  or  inland 
waterways, compared to road only transport.  

6.3 Addressing ship finance regulatory issues   

The share of global shipping portfolios held by European banks has  constantly declined 
over the recent years, falling from 72% in 2013 to 49.7% in 202394. Trends vary across 
Member States, with sharp decreases in some and stable or even increasing bank exposure 
to shipping in others. In general, however EU shipping companies are increasingly seeking 
financing opportunities at third country banks and leasing institutions offering attractive 
financing  products.  This  situation  may  generate  a  strategic  liability  for  the  EU  and 
undermine its economic security and industrial interests, as foreign institutions may retain 
ownership of the leased  vessels and impose local content requirements. A coherent  and 
predictable  regulatory  environment  should  help  stimulate  ship  financing  in  the  EU  and 
encourage investors to commit capital to green maritime projects in Europe.  

The Commission will revise the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy criteria95 related 
to the waterborne sector, to better reflect the sector’s unique needs, technological realities 
and climate transition pathways. New criteria, expected to be published in Q2 2026 could 
be  considered  in  relevant  state  aid  instruments  for  fleet  renewal  and  retrofitting 
investments96.  

At the level of capital markets,  the EU Savings and Investments Union strategy will 
help channel more investments into the economy through removing barriers, facilitating 
securitisation, incentivise institutional investments and cross border capital mobilisation. 

Flagship actions 

•  Support  the  renewal  and  decarbonisation  of  the  shipping  fleet  under  the  current 

Connecting Europe Facility while fostering domestic industrial capacity 

92 These include fuel cells, electric propulsion technologies for waterborne transport, wind propulsion technologies, CO2 
transport  technologies,  carbon  capture  and  storage  technologies,  shore-side  electricity  supply  equipment,  offshore 
renewables technologies, such as offshore wind foundations and floaters, tidal stream energy technologies, wave energy 
technologies, offshore substations and converters.  
93 Namely for SMEs and SMCs, in the form of guarantees. 
94 Research Petrofin-Global-Bank-Research-and-Petrofin-Index-of-Global-Ship-Finance-end-2022.pdf 
95Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 of 4 June 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2020/852 
96  The  General  Block  Exemption  Regulation  (“GBER”),  which  will  be  revised  in  2026,  includes  specific  sections 
regarding aid to support the acquisition of clean and zero-emission vessels or the retrofitting of existing vessels. Similarly, 
relevant sections are included in the Climate, Environment protection and Energy Aid Guidelines (“CEEAG”), adopted 
in January 2022. 

20 

 
 
 
•  Consider under the forthcoming ETS review an EU mechanism to support the uptake 

of sustainable fuels and clean propulsion technologies  

•  Encourage  Member  States  to  allocate  part  of  ETS  revenues  to  maritime 

decarbonisation investments in Europe  

•  Revise the EU taxonomy criteria to improve access to sustainable finance and 

incentivise sustainable investments 

7.  ACCESS TO SKILLS AND QUALITY JOBS  

Increasing the attractiveness of working in the EU maritime cluster is essential. A skilled 
and  motivated  workforce  underpins  efficiency  and  productivity,  enables  adaptation  to 
technological  change,  ensures  knowledge  retention  and 
transfer,  and  supports 
sustainability objectives while contributing to a competitive, resilient and innovative EU 
maritime ecosystem. 

7.1 Up- and re-skilling the EU shipbuilding workforce and seafarers 

Technological  evolution,  the  uptake  of  alternative  fuels,  increasing  automation  and 
digitalisation are driving demand for high-skilled seafarers, shore-based professionals and 
workers in  shipbuilding  and maritime manufacturing. Strategic investment  in  education 
and training is necessary to prevent labour shortages, secure intellectual property, reduce 
dependence on non-EU workers and safeguard know-how within the Union.  

The Mobility Transition Pathway97 highlights major up- and re-skilling needs with up to 
40% of the shipbuilding workforce expected to retire by 2030. In the Pact of Skills98 on 
Shipbuilding, industry partners committed to up- and re-skill 7% of employees annually 
and to attract 234,000 new workers by 2030. In the shipping sector up to 250,000 seafarers 
will require re-skilling and up-skilling to address emerging technological and fuel-related 
needs. 

Aligned with industry needs, the Commission will support education institutions and social 
partners in identifying current and future skill gaps and in developing re-skilling and 
upskilling programmes99. 

7.2 Mobility, attractiveness and quality jobs  

Attracting and retaining qualified personnel remains a challenge. The Commission stands 
ready  to  assist  Member  States  in  making  the  maritime  careers  move  attractive  and 
promoting mobility between sea- and shore-based roles, while supporting lifelong careers 
across the maritime cluster and job creation including in coastal and island communities. 
To enhance mobility within the cluster, the Commission will support social partners and 
maritime  education  institutes  in  mapping  maritime  professions. This  will  also  help 
retain experience and strengthen the European industrial base.  

97 Transition pathway for the EU mobility industrial ecosystem (2024) https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/57674  
98  Within  the  Pact  for  Skills,  other  large-scale  Skills  Partnerships  relevant  for  maritime  manufacturing  have  been 
established also in Aerospace and Defence and in Offshore Renewables.  
99 Including through the upcoming Blue Generational Renewal Strategy, expected to be published in 2027.  Further action 
will also build on the work already started by the MED-NET platform, created as a follow up of the SkillSea project, and 
Pact for Skills on Shipbuilding. The Study to Support and Design Skills Development in the Blue Economy (2025) and 
the  BlueComp  –  Competence  Framework  initiative  will  be  also  taken  into  account.  A  Skills  Agenda  will  also  be 
developed in the framework of the Pact for the Mediterranean to address the skills of the workforce and align training 
with the needs of industry. 

21 

 
 
 
Women are underrepresented in maritime careers, especially in seafaring but also in shore-
based professions. The Commission will support social partners and other organisations in 
increasing the participation of women in the maritime sector. 

The  European  maritime  education  space  needs  to  become  borderless.  Ensuring  mutual 
recognition of degrees, qualifications and certificates within the maritime cluster across 
the EU, and where possible with third countries, is a priority. The Commission will support 
and  coordinate  the  creation  of  a  network  of  maritime  higher  education  institutions 
(MHEIs) and vocational training centres across the EU. Importantly, the Commission 
will  assist  Member  States  in  removing  barriers  to  student  and  academic  staff  mobility, 
including by promoting further participation of maritime higher education institutes 
in Erasmus+. 

Recent  crises  have  shown  that  seafarers  and  other  maritime  personnel,  including 
manufacturing workers, are key workers100. Their work is vital to keep the world moving 
and to ensure the resilience of the EU industrial base and supply chains.  

The maritime labour sector faces persistent challenges related not only to skills shortage 
but  also  working  conditions  both  onboard  and  ashore.  Supporting  quality  jobs  requires 
strong social dialogue, fair working conditions and safe workplaces. Implementation and 
enforcement of EU labour legislation, including the Posting of Workers Directive 101and 
the occupational health and safety acquis, are essential to ensure a level-playing field and 
attractive employment102. 

The Commission will work with Member States to enhance labour standards at ILO 
and the cooperation with the IMO and ILO to ensure uniform enforcement of regulations 
and unified protections for seafarers, thus contributing to global level playing field. One 
area where progress is needed is addressing divergent social security schemes for seafarers.  
The  Commission  will  promote  better  coordination  of  such  schemes,  including  through 
strengthening the role of the European Labour Authority, notably to enhance concerted 
actions  and  joint  inspections,  while  ensuring  alignment  of  the  EU  legislation  and 
international standards.  

Flagship actions 

•  Create a network of maritime higher education institutions and vocational training 
centers across the EU providing education  and training for maritime cluster jobs 
including re- and up-skilling programmes. 

•  Encourage  and  support  Member  States  in  increasing  participation  of  maritime 
higher education in Erasmus+ and associated initiatives by facilitating procedures 
and removing barriers to learning mobility.    

8.  CONCLUSION 

This strategy constitutes a structured action plan requiring a concerted effort by all relevant 
stakeholders,  including  the  EU  institutions,  Member  States,  industry,  regions,  social 

100 https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/75/17 
101  The directive does not apply to merchant navy undertakings as regards seagoing personnel 
102 The Quality Jobs Roadmap provides a renewed commitment and basis for ensuring workers' rights while keeping up 
with technological, economic and societal changes. 

22 

 
 
 
 
partners  and  civil  society.  The  Commission  is  committed  to  ensuring  its  effective 
implementation  and  the  achievements  of  its  objectives  jointly  with  all  the  above 
stakeholders. To this end, the Commission will launch a high-level Maritime Industries 
and Ports Board, chaired by the responsible Commissioner and EVPs with a view to have 
a  continued  exchange  on  the  implementation  of  the  actions  outlined  in  both  the  EU 
Industrial Maritime and Ports strategies, and to collect feedback on developments in 
the market. 

23 

 
 
 
 
ANNEX: SUMMARY OF MEASURES (to be updated based on final main text) 

Pillar I – Build, Equip and Repair 

The Commission will:  

•  Launch  an  EU  Industrial  Maritime  Value  Chains  Alliance  to  strengthen  Europe’s 
industrial sovereignty and technological leadership in selected lead markets in maritime 
manufacturing and emerging technologies (2026) 

•  Rolling out a “Shipyards of the Future” R&I Flagship call under the Horizon Europe 

2026-27 Work Programme (ongoing) 

•  Simplify  and  speed  up  permitting  procedures  through  the  proposed  Industrial 

Accelerator Act, including in maritime manufacturing facilities (2026) 

•  Work with EU/EEA Member states to identify and facilitate a multi-year, aggregated 
pipeline of public orders across EU/EEA public buyers to create a longe-term aggregated 
demand signal (2026-27) 

•  Propose targeted non-price requirements,  in compliance with international obligations, 
in  selected  strategic  public  procurement  segments  in  the  context  of  the  upcoming 
revision of the EU public procurement framework (2026) 

•  Launch a structured dialogue with the EU maritime manufacturing industry with a view 
to  further  enhancing  its  intelligence  capabilities  to  monitor  shipbuilding  policy  and 
market  developments,  strategic  risks,  threats  to  and  opportunities  for  supply  chain 
resilience, as well as market access barriers in third countries (2026) 

•  Assess  options  and  propose  where  necessary  and  feasible  a  new  sector-specific 
instrument, or targeted amendments to its trade policy toolbox, in line with international 
obligations, with a focus on specific segments key to Europe’s strategic autonomy and 
security  and  where  EU  shipyards  are  still  active  but  are  experiencing  unfair  oversea 
competition  

•  Leverage existing and future trade and investment agreements to protect and promote 
the interests of the EU maritime manufacturing base, including through market access, 
anti-subsidy, transparency obligations and IPR protection provisions (continued) 
•  Relaunch efforts towards a future international agreement in the area of shipbuilding 
that would tackle non-market practices in the sector (continued / long-term action) 
•  Foster a level playing field in export credits for ships by further developing the Ships 
Sector Understanding (SSU) in the OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export 
Credits, including through new provisions on zero and low emissions ships (2026-27) 

•  Create a new financing tool for Export Credits to ensure a better level playing field on 
third  country  markets  for  export-oriented  industries  such  as  maritime  manufacturing 
(ongoing) 

•  Strengthen  the  Hong  Kong  Convention  on  Ship  Recycling  with  a  view  to  ultimately 

reaching full alignment between international and EU rules (continued) 

•  Explore ways to support the expansion of domestic EU ship recycling capacity and work 
with  trading  partners  with  ship  recycling,  starting  with  India,  to  foster  high 
environmental  and  social  standards,  building  on  the  EU  Ship  Recycling  Regulation 
(continued)  

•  Support maritime circularity strategies from design to end-of-life and material recovery 

through R&I support (continued) 

Member States are invited to:  

•  Prioritise  funding  support  for  projects  supporting  economic  security  and  reducing 
foreign  dependencies  in  the  sector,  building  on  the  new  Joint  Communication  on 
strengthening EU economic security (continued) 

•  Contribute to achieving the EU 2030 maritime industrial vision set out in the strategy 

Sector stakeholders are encouraged to: 

24 

 
 
•  Leverage advances in digitalisation, modularity, and circularity in industrial processes 
to enhance design and production efficiencies and sustainable practices (continued) 
•  Foster industrial and value chain synergies, leveraging the new EU Industrial Maritime 
Value  Chains Alliance  and  other  EU  national  and  regional  clustering  platforms  and 
initiatives (continued) 

Pillar II – Transport and connect 

The Commission will:  

•  Continue the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport (continued) 
•  Establish  a  structured  cooperation  dialogue  with  Member  States  and  industry 
stakeholders to increase the attractiveness of Member States’ flags (as from 2026) 
•  Consider  how  to  simplify  and  streamline  the  existing  monitoring,  reporting  and 
verification framework (MRV) for EU ETS Maritime and FuelEU Maritime (2026) 
•  Pursue the work within the IMO to work towards global solutions and revise relevant 
EU  legislation  taking  into  consideration  global  measures  at  IMO  in  order  to  avoid 
double payment (as from 2026) 

•  Facilitate cooperation between market players through creating a European network of 

green shipping lanes and hubs (as from 2027) 

•  Strengthen the engagement in IMO to shape maritime safety standards, towards ensuring 

a global level playing field (continued) 

•  Report on the EU Passenger Ship Safety Directive and the Marine Equipment Directive 

in preparation of their review (2026 - 2027) 

•  Consider extending EU passenger ship safety requirements to all intra-EU routes (2027 

- 2028) 

•  Examine  the  feasibility  of  an  EU  framework  for  the  mutual  recognition  of  offshore 

service and industrial vessels (2027 - 2028) 

•  Consider  extending the  scope  of  the  Marine  Equipment  Directive  or  existing  mutual 
recognition  arrangements  between  recognised  organisations  to  simplify  approval 
processes and improve access to international markets (2027) 

•  Strengthen  the  surveillance  and  monitoring  of  shadow  fleet  operations,  improve  the 
enforcement  of  existing  rules  and  deepen  international  cooperation  to  uphold  global 
maritime safety and environmental standards (continued) 

•  Pursue a prompt interconnectivity between the Maritime National Single Windows and 

the future Customs Data Hub (as from 2027) 

•  Consult  the  maritime  industry  on  identifying  further  simplification  of  administrative 

• 

procedures and data requirements (as from 2026) 
Intensify, together with the Member States, EU efforts in IMO and seek to maximise EU 
impact through broader alliances with international partners (continued) 

•  Continue  the  inclusion  of  comprehensive  commitments  on  international  maritime 

transport services in free trade agreements (continued) 

•  Propose  legislation  setting conditions for Member  States to  declare existing  bilateral 
agreements compatible with EU law and to negotiate and conclude new agreements that 
advance EU interests (2026) 

•  Propose a follow-up to the NAIADES III programme for the inland waterways sector 

(2028) 

Member States are invited to:  

•  Further  advance  pragmatic  measures  to  enhance  the  attractiveness  of  EU  Member 

States’ flags  

•  Complete the implementation of the EMSWe Regulation 

25 

 
 
 
•  Work jointly with the Commission towards simplifying and streamlining national and 

EU reporting requirements 

•  Step  up  collaboration  and  allocate  sufficient  resources  to  bolster  the  EU’s  strategic 

presence in the areas of international maritime chokepoints 

Pillar III – Secure and protect 

The Commission will:  

•  Support  the  ramp-up  of  naval  industrial  production  capacities,  including  through  the 
new European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) and ReArm Europe Plan (2026-27) 
•  Propose  to  pursue  a  dual-use  Ferry  construction  support  mechanism  to  mobilise 
financial resources for investments linked to additional military specifications for dual-
use ferries built in Europe (2027) 

•  Pursue solid and binding IMO cybersecurity rules to reduce general maritime cyber risks 

for civilian vessels (as from 2026) 

Member States are invited to:  

•  Use the different opportunities under Readiness 2030 to strengthen naval industrial and 

technological capabilities in line with the objectives of this Strategy 

Pillar IV – Access to innovation 

The Commission will:  

•  Refine the methodology for accounting wind propulsion energy and address regulatory 

gaps at EU and IMO level (as from 2027) 

•  Pursue  work  towards  a  robust  policy  framework  for  nuclear  power  propulsion  in 

commercial shipping (as from 2026) 

•  Propose  an  amendment  to  the  Non-Road  Mobile  Machinery  Regulation  to  allow 
hydrogen as reference fuel for non-road mobile machinery engines in inland navigation 
vessels (2026)  

•  Pursue a regulatory and technical framework for unmanned shipping solutions including 
EU-level  guidelines  and  best  practices  for  designated  tests  and  trials  at  sea  (as  from 
2026) 

•  Strengthen and expand the scope of R&I support for waterborne sector, building on the 
achievements  of  the  current  co-programmed  Zero-Emission  Waterborne  Transport 
Partnership (as from 2028) 
Improve testing processes for ocean technologies for different applications through the 
upcoming EU Ocean R&I Strategy (2026)  

• 

•  Map and assess research and technology infrastructures also for waterborne transport 
and  promote  the  access  to  such  infrastructures  for  EU  maritime  start-ups,  scale-ups, 
SMEs and mid-caps developing technologies and solutions, through the implementation 
of the EU Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures (as from 2026) 

•  Ensure  a  systematic  and  rigorous  enforcement  of  existing  R&I  security  tools  and 
identify remaining gaps to help prevent EU-funded technology leakage (continued) 

•  Launch the Ocean Observation Initiative (OceanEye) (2026) 

Member states are invited to: 

•  Further  support  the  rapid  uptake  of  innovation  including  tests  beds  and  regulatory 

experimentation 

26 

 
 
 
 
Pillar V – Access to finance & investment 

The Commission will:  

•  Launch a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility to support the renewal 
and decarbonisation of the shipping fleet, with a particular focus on ferries and coastal 
vessels (2026) 

•  Disburse EUR 347 million under the CEF Digital to strategic submarine cable projects, 

including for enhancing Europe's repair capacities (2026-27) 

•  Mobilise investments, through InvestEU,  of around EUR 1-1.5 billion in the waterborne 

sector by 2027 (by 2027)  

•  Mobilise  around  EUR  800  million  investments  in  blue  economy  sectors  such  as 
shipbuilding,  retrofitting,  shipping,  blue  tech  through  the  BlueEconomy  product 
supported by InvestEU and the EMFAF and implemented by the EIB group (ongoing) 

•  Propose a dedicated maritime call under the Innovation Fund (2027) 
•  Further  assess  the  Innovation  Fund’s  implementation  and  its  specific  preference 
provisions for maritime projects so as to further enhance the decarbonisation of shipping 
in future calls (as from 2026) 

•  Allocate EUR 184.5 million to finance R&I actions for waterborne transport until 2027 

(through Horizon Europe WP 2025 and 2026 – 2027) 

•  Make available EUR 130 million under European Defence Fund calls on topics such as 
enhanced semi-autonomous surface vessels and seabed infrastructure protection (2026) 
•  Consider supporting investments in clean, digitalised vessels as well as innovation and 
modernisation of shipbuilding, offshore energy, and blue tech under the proposed future 
European Competitiveness Fund (as from 2028) subject to the adoption of the latter 
•  Consider under the forthcoming ETS review a dedicated mechanism to directly support 
shipping companies with ETS allowances for the uptake of sustainable fuels and clean 
propulsion technologies (2026) 

•  Enable  investment  aid  measures  aimed  at  supporting  inland  navigation  vessels’  fleet 
renewal  and  installation  of  cranes  on  board  of  inland  vessels  under  the  Land  and 
Multimodal  Transport  Guidelines  and  new  Transport  Block  Exemption  Regulation 
(2026) 

•  Revise the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy criteria related to the waterborne sector 

(2026-27) 

Member States, international financial institutions, national promotional banks are 
invited to:  

•  Enhance support to waterborne projects  

Member States are invited to: 

•  Allocate  a  part  of  ETS  revenues  to  maritime  decarbonisation  investments  across  the 

maritime cluster in Europe 

•  Leverage  the  new  Clean  Industrial  Deal  State  Aid  Framework  (CISAF)  to  support 
investments in industrial decarbonisation and energy efficiency, including in maritime 
manufacturing facilities, as well as for expanding manufacturing capacity in maritime-
relevant net-zero technologies 

Pillar VI – Access to skills and quality jobs 

The Commission will: 

27 

 
 
 
 
•  Support education institutions and social partners in identifying current and future skill 

gaps and in developing reskilling and upskilling programmes (as from 2027). 

•  Support  social  partners  and  maritime  education  institutes  in  mapping  maritime 
professions and increasing the participation of women in the maritime sector (as from 
2026) 

•  Support  and  coordinate  the  creation  of  a  network  of  maritime  higher  education 
institutions (MHEIs) and vocational training centres across the EU (as from 2027) 
•  Assist  Member  States  in  removing  barriers  to  student  and  academic  staff  mobility 
including by promoting further participation of maritime higher education institutes in 
ERASMUS + 

•  Work with Member States to enhance labour standards at ILO and the cooperation with 
the IMO and ILO to ensure uniform enforcement of regulations and unified protections 
for seafarers (continued)  

•  Promote better coordination of social security schemes including by strengthening the 
role of the European Labour Authority, notably enhancing concerted actions and joint 
inspections while ensuring alignment of the EU legislation and international standards 
(as from 2026) 

28