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EU SMART AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY STRATEGY<\/p>\n
SEA Europe welcomes the European Commission\u2019s Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy, published on 9 December. This new strategy covers all modes of transport, including waterborne transport. But, for the first time, it also covers relevant points from the perspective of Europe\u2019s shipyards and maritime equipment industry (known as \u201cmaritime technology sector\u201d).<\/p>\n
The mobility strategy focuses on policies to make waterborne transport a sustainable and smart mode of transport. These policies are in line with the ambitions from the European Green Deal and take into account the opportunities offered by a digitalization, automation and autonomy in shipping, inland navigation, ports and the logistics\u2019 chain.<\/p>\n
The new mobility strategy also has proposals aiming at making waterborne transport more resilient in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis and pays attention to the challenges of the waterborne transport sector, including maritime technology, in terms of sectoral skills and competitiveness.<\/p>\n
From the perspective of Europe\u2019s maritime technology sector, the new strategy contains a number of helpful proposals, such as:<\/p>\n
– An explicit reference to the contribution from the \u2018Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport\u2019 Partnership, adopted under Horizon Europe, in terms of acceleration of research and innovation in green technologies and sustainable fuels.<\/p>\n
– A reference to use the revenues from the EU Emission Trading Scheme, following its extension to waterborne transport, for investments in European research and innovation so as to decrease further emissions.<\/p>\n
– A proposal to finance the modernisation of fleets, including with retrofitting and fleet renewal schemes, also in waterborne transport, and the recognition that such support \u201cwill help to preserve a thriving manufacturing ecosystem in areas where Europe has a strategic technological advantage such as the vessel manufacturing industries\u201d.<\/p>\n
– The acknowledgement that waterborne transport equipment and solutions are the engine of European exports and that a sustainable and smart transformation of the sector is an opportunity for Europe\u2019s manufacturing industry to lead globally.<\/p>\n