With the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) proposal around the corner the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) urges the European Commission and Member States once again to come up with a strong EU transport funding instrument. Transport is the backbone of the internal market and an essential condition for enhancing Europe’s prosperity and resilience. Ports are key in stepping up Europe’s competitiveness and resilience and are essential partners in ensuring both the energy and clean industrial transition and energy security. These additional, mainly public interest roles come with major investment needs in port infrastructure and connectivity which can only be realised with sufficient EU support.

“The multiannual budget the Commission will be proposing next week will show how serious the Commission is about stepping up Europe’s resilience, delivering on the Clean Industrial Deal and ramping up Europe’s homegrown clean energy. Port infrastructure and more in general state-of-the-art transport infrastructure and better transport connectivity are the foundation to realise each of these ambitions and should be considered as high priority investments in the future budget. Transport keeps Europe together and connected. EU investment support for transport must be seen as the necessary bridge to Europe’s future”, says Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO’s Secretary General.

Europe’s seaports are gateways to the world and are at the crossroads of global supply chains, they are therefore by definition cross-border infrastructure. They connect maritime transport with the hinterland through various modes of transport. They ensure the mobility of people, citizens, and travellers, connecting cities and regions and are indispensable lifelines between Europe’s mainland and its islands and peripheral regions. As unique link between land and sea they are essential to all blue economy sectors.

But ports do more than that. Many ports in Europe are instrumental in securing Europe’s energy supply and play an increasingly important role in hosting the production, facilitating the storage and conversion, importing, and exporting new fuels and energies. They are as such a catalyst in realising Europe’s energy and climate ambitions. Seaports also cluster important industries and/or are the transit towards these industrial clusters in the direct hinterland.

Last but not least, due to the current geopolitical context, the crucial role of ports as facilitators of military mobility and as partners in stepping up Europe’s preparedness and resilience strategy has come to the forefront. Throughout the subsequent crises, ports have shown to be strategic nodes in the supply of goods and material as well as energy to Europe’s economy and society.

Only with strong transport infrastructure at its core and sufficient support for the needed port investments, will Europe be able to ramp up its military mobility, strengthen its industrial competitiveness and economic, social and territorial cohesion, ensure its supply of critical raw materials, and safeguard its supply chain sovereignty. Earlier this year, ESPO together with more than 50 transport organisations sent an open letter underlining that a strong transport sector is a prerequisite for building a competitive, net-zero and resilient Europe.

The CEF funding has proved to be an important instrument for supporting Europe’s ports in their investment needs. The budget envelope for ports was, however, by far too low to cover all the investment underpinning Europe’s public interest responsibilities, which are on the rise. Therefore, ESPO urges EU policymakers again to continue and further strengthen a transport funding instrument. Major investments in future-proof ports and hinterland infrastructure are needed in the coming years (study).

Source: ESPO