SEA Europe supports the Draghi Report and renews its plea for an immediate EU Maritime Industrial Strategy
SEA Europe, representing Europe’s shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers (the “maritime technology industry”), fully backs Mario Draghi’s report on enhancing European competitiveness. The report correctly identifies the key challenges facing the European maritime technology sector, including:
- Unfair competition: Asian shipyards receive large government subsidies, enabling them to offer prices that are 30-40% lower than those of EU shipyards. This results in unfair competition that diminishes Europe’s competitiveness and harms its maritime industrial capacity.
- Strategic dependence: Europe’s maritime resilience is at risk as it relies on Asia for 94% of merchant ships and 96% of containers.
In this context, Mario Draghi advocates for targeted support, such as “conditionalities in EU financial instruments or tax incentives for shipowners to buy ships made in EU”. Such proposals are entirely in line with the recommendations from SEA Europe’s manifesto, presented last April.
In its manifesto, SEA Europe also called for the EU to quickly implement a Maritime Industrial Strategy. This request was echoed by the Competitiveness Council in May, where EU Member States called on the European Commission “to develop a new strategy that supports the European maritime industry, which is vital for the EU’s strategic interests, in the
digital and green transition and that encompasses all the dimensions of the sector’s competitiveness”.
“EU policymakers must act now to strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers. Mr. Draghi’s report emphasizes the urgent need for this. Without a robust maritime industrial strategy, Europe’s entire maritime sector as well as its global leadership in advanced and high-value ships and technologies — face significant risks. A maritime industrial strategy is not only a must for the maritime industry alone but also for Europe’s strategic autonomy, defence, resilience and future,” said Christophe Tytgat, Secretary General of SEA Europe.
Originally published by SEA Europe