Hadjimanolis to discuss European shipping and ports at Brussels conference

Brussels, Belgium. Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis will visit Brussels from September 28 to 30 for high-level talks on the future of European shipping and ports. Competitiveness, geopolitical pressures, fleet renewal and decarbonisation are among the issues on the agenda.

European transport priorities

Hadjimanolis is travelling at the invitation of European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas to attend Connecting Europe Days 2026.

The European Commission’s flagship mobility and transport event runs from September 28 to October 1. It brings together policymakers, financial institutions, industry representatives and transport stakeholders to discuss a competitive, resilient, safe and sustainable European transport sector.

The conference will also examine transport and connectivity in relation to European competitiveness, strategic autonomy and resilience, as well as future infrastructure funding and links with countries outside the EU.

Ports and maritime industry

Hadjimanolis will speak on Tuesday at the high-level plenary session “Gateways to Europe and the world: ports and the maritime sector in transition”, scheduled from 4.45pm to 6.30pm. The session will examine the Industrial Maritime Strategy and EU Ports Strategy and their implications for Europe’s maritime value chains and infrastructure.

According to the Commission programme, discussions will also cover Europe’s maritime industrial capacity and fleet renewal, taking account of climate objectives and the EU’s economic and security interests.

Hadjimanolis will join Irish Minister of State Timmy Dooley in a fireside discussion. The industry panel will include Fincantieri chief executive and managing director Pierroberto Folgiero, ENESEL Group co-chair Andonis Lemos, Titan Clean Fuels chief executive Niels den Nijs and Freeport of Riga Authority chief executive Ansis Zeltiņš.

EU maritime strategies

The Brussels discussions follow the European Commission’s adoption in March of two maritime strategies covering ports, shipping and shipbuilding, with a focus on competitiveness, sustainability, security and resilience.

The Industrial Maritime Strategy sets out measures to strengthen European shipbuilding, shipping, maritime technology and industrial capacity while supporting the sector’s clean and digital transition. The plans include the creation of an EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance.