A working lunch was held at the Piraeus Maritime Club with the participation of European Union Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The President of the Piraeus Marine Club, Paris Xanalatos, thanked the official guests and the Club Members for their warm presence and participation.
The Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, participated in the dialogue on strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of European shipping.
Tzitzikostas stressed the need for a strategic approach to the decarbonization of shipping, with an emphasis on measures such as ship retrofitting, the EU FUEL ETS regulations, and the promotion of alternative fuels. He underlined that predictability is crucial due to the high cost of investments.
As the global framework for net zero is expected to be agreed at the IMO in October 2025, he called on all governments and the EU to adopt a unified policy. He described the agreement as historic, especially in the current geopolitical and economic environment.
The Commissioner stressed that competitiveness must remain an absolute priority, as the Draghi report warns. At the same time, he underlined the importance of energy security and turning sustainability into a development advantage.
New strategy
He announced that a new strategy for shipping will be presented, aiming to:
- support shipyards for the construction of “clean” ships,
- promote innovation and “green” ports,
- create financial tools,
- and develop clean fuels.
