INE’s contribution on upcoming EU Port Strategy

23 April 2025

Inland waterways play a vital role in the EU port ecosystem due to their function as sustainable, resilient and strategic transport corridors for critical goods. These corridors extend the reach of maritime trade for industry in ports’ hinterlands. Their importance goes far beyond transportation, however, as these waterways also provide essential water supplies for industry and energy, pertinent flood control systems, and are key in the protection of critical water infrastructure across Europe. These waterways are foundational to the safety and functioning of European societies.

Several barriers and threats exist to the optimal use of inland waterways in the port ecosystem. These include historic infrastructure underinvestment, climate change stressors, modal shift bottlenecks and both physical and digital security threats. Amidst geopolitical tensions and the impacts of climate change, these challenges and threats must be addressed through a strengthened and collaborative policy that recognises the intricacy of ports’ networks.

It is essential to transition from crisis response to anticipation and coordinated response. We fully support the ‘preparedness’ by design’ approach proposed by the Commission, but we are opposed to the administrative or physical fencing that would create barriers for modal shift. We propose a multi-use approach to infrastructure due to the interdependencies of waterways’ functions and maximizing of synergies. This coordination can be achieved through coherence in policy and a comprehensive pan-European vulnerability assessment, an EU predictable framework for infrastructure investment, innovation & digitalization and the prioritization of safety and security. Coordinated EU-level action is needed to bridge gaps and safeguard this critical infrastructure for a secure, strategic and sustainable port ecosystem.