**Hadjimanolis Represents Cyprus in EU Shipping Debate**
Cyprus has made its mark in the ongoing European discourse regarding the future of shipping and port competitiveness amid rising demands for energy efficiency, security, and decarbonisation. Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis participated in a high-level plenary session titled “Gateways to Europe and the World: Ports and the Maritime Sector in Transition” at the Connecting Europe Days 2026 event in Brussels. This participation comes following an official invitation from Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
During the plenary, Hadjimanolis engaged in discussions alongside Irish Minister of State Timmy Dooley, addressing the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing the European shipping industry. The dialogue encompassed various pressing topics, including geopolitical developments, the energy transition, competitiveness, resilience, and the imperative of decarbonisation.
The timing of this debate is particularly crucial as the European Commission shifts from policy formulation to the implementation phase of its new strategies for ports, shipping, and maritime manufacturing. In March, the Commission adopted its EU Ports Strategy and Industrial Maritime Strategy, aimed at bolstering Europe’s maritime industrial base while mitigating vulnerabilities arising from global competition and geopolitical tensions. These strategies emphasize fleet renewal, clean technologies, shipbuilding capacity, maritime security, digitalisation, and access to financing. A key focus is to ensure that environmental regulations do not compromise the international competitiveness of European operators.
The plenary session aimed to explore the implications of these strategies for Europe’s maritime value chains and infrastructure. It highlighted the need for reinforcing maritime industrial capacity and renewing the fleet while simultaneously supporting climate objectives and safeguarding Europe’s economic and security interests.
Industry leaders who contributed to the discussions included Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri; Andonis Lemos, co-chair of ENESEL Group; Niels den Nijs, CEO of Titan Clean Fuels; and Ansis Zeltiņš, CEO of the Freeport of Riga Authority. Their insights underscored the significance of the maritime sector, which plays a vital role in the EU economy.
According to the European Commission, European ports manage approximately 74% of the EU’s external trade, handling around 3.4 billion tonnes of goods annually. Furthermore, they facilitate the passage of nearly 395 million passengers each year and provide over 423,000 direct jobs. European-controlled shipping accounts for more than one-third of global shipping tonnage across various market segments, underscoring the sector's importance.
For Cyprus, this debate aligns closely with the government’s priorities at the European level throughout 2026. Earlier this year, during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, maritime policy was a focal point, emphasizing the need to maintain the global competitiveness of European shipping, support investments in green and digital transitions, and ensure that EU maritime regulations are in line with international standards set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
This commitment also led to the Lefkosia Declaration, which was endorsed by EU maritime ministers in April. The declaration focused on crucial areas such as seafarer education and training, reskilling and upskilling for the green and digital transitions, and attracting a more diverse workforce, including women, into maritime careers.
Hadjimanolis’ involvement in the Brussels discussions is part of a broader Cypriot effort to prioritize competitiveness within the European shipping agenda. As the sector grapples with the financial burdens of fleet renewal and the imperative of decarbonisation, alongside escalating geopolitical and security challenges, Cyprus aims to ensure that its voice is heard in shaping the future of maritime policy in Europe.
Connecting Europe Days, which runs from September 28 to October 1, is the European Commission’s flagship event focused on transport and mobility. It brings together policymakers, financial institutions, industry representatives, and transport stakeholders to discuss the role of transport infrastructure in enhancing European competitiveness, resilience, strategic autonomy, and global connectivity. This year’s program underscores the importance of protecting critical supply chains and the evolving relationship between civilian transport infrastructure and defense needs.
The maritime discussions at this event reflect a significant shift in perspective, as ports are increasingly recognized not just as commercial gateways, but as strategic infrastructure essential for trade, energy supply, industrial capacity, and national security.