Dutch seaports call for concrete implementation of European Ports Strategy

Five Dutch seaports have called on European policymakers to swiftly translate the European Ports Strategy into concrete, practical and adequately funded measures, presenting their joint position paper Full Steam Ahead during a meeting in Brussels on September 29. The port authorities of Amsterdam, Groningen Seaports, Moerdijk, Rotterdam and North Sea Port, cooperating within the Dutch Seaports Association, engaged in discussions with Members of the European Parliament Sérgio Gonçalves, Willemien Koning and Sara Matthieu, with Gonçalves serving as the Parliament’s rapporteur on the file. The discussion was moderated by Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation. The European Commission presented the European Ports Strategy in March 2026, explicitly recognising ports as strategic hubs for trade, industry, energy and security and addressing port competitiveness, the energy transition, security and access to financing. The Dutch ports welcomed this recognition as an important step forward while emphasising that the next challenge lies in clarifying how Europe’s ambitions will be implemented in practice.