Cyprus to discuss maritime sector competitiveness in Brussels — Cyprus Mail
Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis will be in Brussels, Belgium, from September 28 to 30, where she will take part in talks on the future of European shipping and ports. The agenda includes industry competitiveness, geopolitical pressure, fleet renewal and decarbonization, Cyprus Mail reports.
The trip will take place at the invitation of European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas to participate in the Connecting Europe Days 2026 forum. The European Commission event will run from September 28 to October 1 and bring together policymakers, financial institutions, industry representatives and the transport sector.
Discussion on ports and fleet
On Tuesday, Hadjimanolis will speak at a plenary session devoted to ports and the maritime sector during the transition period. Participants will discuss the priorities of the Industrial Maritime Strategy and the EU Ports Strategy, including their impact on Europe's maritime supply chains and infrastructure.
The program also includes a discussion on strengthening the industrial capacity of Europe's maritime sector and renewing the fleet while taking into account the EU's climate goals and economic and security interests. Hadjimanolis will take part in the discussion alongside Irish Minister of State Timmy Dooley.
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New EU maritime strategies
In March, the European Commission adopted two new maritime strategies covering ports, shipping and shipbuilding. The Industrial Maritime Strategy provides for steps to strengthen European shipbuilding, maritime technologies and production capacity, as well as support the sector's clean and digital transition. Plans include creating the EU Industrial Maritime Supply Chain Alliance.
According to the European Commission, European shipping accounts for more than one-third of global tonnage. EU ports handle around 74% of the bloc's external trade — about 3.4 billion tonnes of cargo annually — and serve nearly 395 million passengers. They also provide more than 423,000 direct jobs.
Earlier this month in Limassol, representatives of Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy discussed challenges facing international shipping and the sector's decarbonization at the EU and International Maritime Organization levels. Following the meeting, they adopted a joint declaration on strengthening cooperation and coordination in maritime matters.
