FEPORT, the European association representing private port terminal operators, has warmly welcomed the adoption of the EU Port Strategy, presented on March 4, 2026, describing it as an important milestone in the European Union's roadmap to strengthen its strategic autonomy and sovereignty.
The simultaneous adoption of the EU Maritime Industrial Strategy has also been well received by the sector, sending a clear signal about the role that shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers play in European industrial resilience, ending decades in which this industry had been sidelined from the priorities of community policymakers.
The members of the FEPORT board, gathered in Brussels on March 5, 2026, appreciate the recognition of maritime ports as strategic entities that require investments in infrastructure for supply security, energy transition, and military mobility. They also value that the Port Strategy acknowledges the role of private port terminals in attracting private capital and improving the competitiveness of European ports.
The president of FEPORT, Gunther Bonz, noted that in recent years, private terminal operators have taken on responsibilities that go beyond the commercial management of goods, including co-financing or fully financing investments in security infrastructure, scanner equipment to combat drug trafficking, cybersecurity systems, electrification at ports, and intermodal rail connectivity. "Economically, this evolution represents a structural redefinition of the model governing private terminals and calls for a review of the rules on investment and state aid," added Bonz.
In this regard, the Secretary General of FEPORT, Lamia Kerdjoudj, welcomed the European Commission's decision to review the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) and provide additional interpretative guidance, including for investments in port infrastructure. Kerdjoudj emphasized that the current regulatory framework is fragmented and that there are still "pieces missing in the puzzle," referring to the combination of European regulations and individual decisions on state aid that currently govern investments in the sector.
The association also called for greater clarity on public support for multimodal transport facilities at maritime ports with rail connections or via inland waterways. "The coherence of the EU state aid policy remains the best guarantee of equal treatment, equal conditions, and proportionality, and the best means to unleash the potential for long-term investment in European ports," concluded Kerdjoudj.
FEPORT also warned that regulatory compliance costs, prolonged authorization procedures, and the EU emissions trading system for the maritime sector erode the competitive advantage of European ports against the competition from non-EU ports, and urged the Commission to translate its awareness of this issue into concrete measures.