Brussels – Today the European Commission published two ocean-focused EU strategies: The European Ports Strategy and the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy. Both strategies are presented under the 2025 Ocean Pact which aims to align European Union’s policies and regulations to protect and restore ocean health. However, leading environmental NGOs Seas At Risk, One Planet Port, Zero and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) warn that both strategies fall short of the ambition needed to safeguard EU’s seas.
Ports are central to Europe’s economy, often located in fragile marine areas such as estuaries where expansion and activities can damage locally important wildlife habitats and blue carbon ecosystems. To genuinely protect and restore marine environments, the strategies must go further by embedding nature into port planning and development, avoiding expansion in sensitive natural areas and prioritising nature-based solutions such as ecological breakwaters, living seawalls and smarter sediment management. The reference to the proposed regulation on speeding up environmental impact assessments, part of the Environmental Omnibus package, is alarming.
At a time of fragile global trade dynamics, NGOs welcome the focus on digital ports optimisation and strengthening the “made in the EU” production, however this must not come at the expense of the environment. Embedding stronger circular economy principles and localised production in European ports would support more jobs, shorten maritime supply chains, and reduce material and carbon footprints.
The strategies also overlook a major concrete opportunity: scaling up wind propulsion on vessels. While electrification and e-fuels are highlighted as pathways to decarbonisation, wind propulsion is largely addressed in terms of developing methodologies to account for wind-assisted energy savings and addressing regulatory gaps at EU and International Maritime Organization (IMO). Yet wind propulsion already offers a proven zero-emission solution that could significantly reduce shipping’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening Europe’s industrial leadership. Scaling up wind technologies would help the EU hit their FuelEU target of an 80% emission reduction by 2050. Bringing more wind to Europe would bring innovation and research. If combined with mandatory reduced ship speed, wind propulsion can contribute also to reducing underwater noise pollution and the risk of collisions with marine mammals.Tapping into this potential is essential to ensure that the infrastructure and policy developed will serve the long-term purpose of decarbonising maritime transport and minimising the shipping sector’s impact on marine life. If the Commission is serious in enabling this transition, it needs to support ports and the maritime sector by enabling manufacturing facilities, retrofitting equipment, as well as providing essential training to upskill workers.
Meanwhile, as the EU is currently revising both the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive under the umbrella of the Ocean Act, it is highly concerning that these were not considered as key opportunities to achieve the objectives of both Strategies: ensuring the resilience of EU Maritime Sectors and EU Ports. This highlights a potential gap that risks weakening the alignment between economic development and ecosystem health, without which a resilient economy will remain a pipe dream.
Sian Prior, Shipping Director, Seas At Risk, said “Europe needs ports that are resilient, environmentally responsible, and truly made for Europe’s competitive future. From circular port economies to effective ecological planning, strong collaboration between port authorities and regional governments will be key. Both the EU Ports Strategy and the Industrial Maritime Strategy miss an opportunity to set up a clear vision for how Europe can build a sustainable and future proof maritime sector that operates within planetary boundaries.”
The two strategies come at a time when Europe urgently needs resilient and sustainable ports and a maritime sector. Whilst the strategies take modest steps in the right direction, NGOs urge Europe to strengthen nature protection and marine ecosystems, accelerate zero-emission solutions and fully integrate ports into its ocean governance framework. It must assure that upcoming flagship actions, including the 2026 European Climate Adaptation Plan (ECAP) and the 2027 EU environmental guidance for ports, work for environmental protection, and not the contrary. In addition to this, the ringfenced European Trading System (ETS) must prioritise investments in true zero-emission solutions, such as wind propulsion, as well as infrastructure that supports a rapid transition away from fossil fuels.
Dr Lucy Gilliam, Co-Executive Director, One Planet Port, said “We see enormous potential for European ports to become global leaders in climate innovation and ecosystem stewardship. By integrating marine spatial planning, nature-based design, circular production systems with zero emission & wind-assisted shipping into a coherent strategy, Europe can build ports that are resilient, competitive and aligned with planetary boundaries. This requires coordinated action between EU institutions, port authorities and regional governments – and the courage to prioritise long-term environmental security alongside economic strength.”
Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Europe at IFAW, said “The move toward digital port optimisation is a welcome and necessary step forward. When ships can plan their arrivals more accurately, they can slow down at sea—reducing collisions with whales and dolphins, cutting underwater noise, and lowering emissions. To truly maximise these benefits, it’s essential that efficiency gains go hand in hand with binding environmental targets.”
Posted on: 4 March 2026
