The waterborne sector is pivotal for Europe, as it offers access to seas, trade, and the Blue Economy. This diversified sector with a wide variety of subsectors plays a crucial part in the EU Blue Economy, which provides approximately 5 million people with jobs.
Several subsectors of the EU’s waterborne sector have been severely impacted because of the pandemic. However, there are no concrete policies to support this sector yet.
Due to the insufficient recognition of the waterborne sector and the lacking inclusion of the waterborne stakeholders in EU policymaking, a coalition of 17 maritime associations of Europe has submitted a joint letter to the European Commission.
With the letter, the associations stress their determination in contributing to the EU’s political ambitions, including the European Green Deal, and help to safeguard its industrial base and strategic maritime autonomy.
The letter can be found here