On the eve of the first European Maritime Day, the European Commission has invited a number of senior shipping professionals to discuss the strategic challenges and opportunities for European shipping and the maritime transport system over the next decade. The European Commission has initiated a strategic reflection into the best ways to ensure a prosperous future for European shipping. As well recognising the need to maintain a competitive European maritime cluster with highly qualified seafarers and maritime professionals, the commission aims to ensure that a European maritime system can accommodate the fast changes in the globalised world.

Strategic importance of shipping

The current exercise is part of the EU Integrated Maritime Policy. It covers the strategically vital sector of maritime transport that creates, among others, significant added value and EU employment. The exercise follows the renewed Lisbon strategy and 2006 mid-term review of the White Paper on Transport Policy. Also, the motorways of the sea project which aims to reduce road congestion via a trans-European trade network by sea is another important initiative that the Commission is supporting.

European shipping is one of the most competitive shipping industries in the world. It represents 42% of the world merchant fleet and is present in all segments of the shipping markets. European shipping services sustain also a substantial part of the intra EU sea-borne trade, of the seaborne connections between Europe and its main trade partners and of cross trades between third countries.

Before the end of 2008, the Commission intends to present a Communication "Maritime Transport: blue horizons of commitment". These blue horizons will encompass the input from the senior shipping professionals and from the Member States together with an economic analysis of trends, opportunities and challenges until 2018. It will be the result of a wide consultation with all interested parties, building also on the input received that led to the adoption of the Maritime Policy Communication in October 2007. The "Maritime Transport: blue horizons of commitment" will provide the strategic framework for EU policy development in the years to come.