The European Union recognizes the pivotal role and importance of shortsea shipping in achieving the objectives of the green transition while safeguarding the quality standards of maritime transport services.
This was the key conclusion of the policy workshop organized by the European Shortsea Network (ESN), attended by EU officials, representatives of European shipowners’ associations, the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Members of the European Parliament and national Shortsea Promotion Centers. The event was hosted at the premises of the Permanent Representation of Greece to the European Union in Brussels.
Ioannis Vrailas, Greece’s Permanent Representative to the EU, opened the workshop with welcoming remarks, stating unequivocally that both the significance and the role of shortsea shipping — as well as that of the ESN — are now widely recognized and acknowledged across Europe, particularly amid the current period of geopolitical instability and its multifaceted economic repercussions.
Charalambos Simantonis, president of both the European Shortsea Network and the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association, stated following the discussions:
“We are fully satisfied with the outcome of the discussions and confident that Europe — including its institutions, stakeholders, organizations and the European Commission — understands the importance of shortsea shipping for the European economy and society. We were particularly encouraged by the alignment of views among participants, which clearly demonstrates that we share a common objective and have allies in the challenging path toward the green transition. We find the European Union more prepared than ever to implement a realistic, economically sustainable and competitive shortsea shipping framework. What remains is to see the concrete implementation of these strategies through measurable results and clear timelines.”
Simantonis further explained why shortsea shipping is critical to the competitiveness, resilience of supply chains and sustainability of the European economy, as well as to strengthening Europe’s security and geopolitical standing, noting that it:
- ensures the transport of goods within and beyond the EU’s borders;
- serves as the “transport infrastructure” of Europe’s maritime regions, guaranteeing accessibility and regional cohesion; and
- constitutes the most reliable solution for shifting freight flows from road transport corridors to maritime routes.
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