The World Shipping Council (WSC) has welcomed the European Commission’s new EU Ports Strategy and Maritime Industrial Strategy, particularly their emphasis on strengthening port security and advancing maritime decarbonisation, while arguing that the proposals do not go far enough in simplifying trade procedures.

The industry body said it supports the strategies’ focus on combating organised crime at European ports through stronger cooperation between public authorities and the private sector, including improved information exchange between regulators, shipping companies and other maritime stakeholders.

“European ports and maritime supply chains are only as secure as their weakest link. Without strong public-private partnership and consistent implementation across Member States, criminal activity will simply move elsewhere,” commented Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council.

Kramek also noted that the strategies acknowledge the importance of protecting maritime routes that are critical to European trade flows.

On decarbonisation, WSC explained that it backs the European Union’s commitment to pursuing a global regulatory solution through the International Maritime Organization (IMO), while supporting efforts to review EU rules to prevent overlapping costs across different regulatory regimes.

The organisation said the Ports Strategy’s emphasis on expanding renewable fuel supply, promoting a multi-fuel approach and accelerating the rollout of onshore power infrastructure represents a constructive development.

“Liner shipping has invested more than €125 billion in over 1,100 dual-fuel vessels delivered or on order. Port infrastructure must match fleet investment with fuel supply and electrification,” Kramek stated.

WSC also welcomed acknowledgement within the Maritime Industrial Strategy that regulatory requirements under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and FuelEU Maritime should be simplified.

However, the organisation argued that the strategies have made insufficient progress in reducing administrative burdens affecting maritime trade. According to WSC, liner shipping carries around €2.5 trillion of EU trade each year, yet vessels may still need to submit up to 1,200 separate data elements for a single port call, often due to differing national reporting requirements.

The group said full implementation of the EU Maritime Single Window, originally due last August, could reduce administrative workloads by an estimated 2.2 to 2.5 million staff hours annually.

WSC also highlighted that shipping within the EU continues to face customs procedures typically associated with external borders, which it says creates unnecessary barriers for intra-European trade.

“In a true single market, moving goods by ship within Europe should be as seamless as moving them by truck,” Kramek remarked. “Reducing intra-EU customs barriers and administrative friction would be one of the fastest ways to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, and we would welcome clearer action in this area.”