EU Ports Strategy: Smarter ports must also mean safer seas for marine life

Brussels (4 March 2026). Today, the European Commission published its new EU Ports Strategy, which sets the direction for the development of European ports in the coming years. While the strategy places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, innovation and digitalisation, IFAW warns that gaps in environmental protection measures and wildlife crime enforcement could undermine the strategy's potential to deliver significant improvements for Europe's seas.

IFAW welcomes the strategy's goal of optimizing port operations and calls for the implementation of "just-in-time" shipping. This system can reduce unnecessary idling of ships, lower emissions, and with its associated speed reductions, reduce the risk of ship collisions with marine mammals. This aligns closely with IFAW's Blue Speeds campaign, which advocates for slower shipping to protect marine ecosystems.

"The shift towards digital port optimisation is a step in the right direction," said Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Europe at IFAW. "If ships plan their arrivals better, they can slow down at sea. That means fewer collisions with whales and dolphins, less noise and lower emissions. It is therefore essential that these efficiency gains are combined with binding environmental targets."

IFAW also appreciates that the strategy seeks to address the impacts of EU-funded port projects in non-EU countries on biodiversity and climate.

"It is encouraging that biodiversity is acknowledged in the EU's Port Strategy," said Di Silvestre. "Ports are part of living coastal systems. Protecting these systems must be at the heart of future development and should not treated as an optional extra."

At the same time, IFAW is concerned by the Commission's plans to speed up environmental impact assessments, as this risks weakening controls on port projects even though European seas face unprecedented pressure from climate change, overfishing, and pollution from shipping. For IFAW, thorough impact assessments remain essential to prevent long-term and irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.

"Fast-tracked approvals might speed up construction of port infrastructure, but they will not bring back a destroyed habitat," Di Silvestre warned. "Strong, independent environmental assessments are not unnecessary bureaucracy. They are essential for the protection of our ocean."

Another shortcoming of the EU Ports Strategy remains that it does not explicitly address wildlife trafficking, a lucrative, low-risk crime that thrives in the shadow of global trade. Although EU ports serve as major hubs for illegal wildlife trade, the strategy treats illegal trade primarily as a drug or security issue. IFAW therefore calls for wildlife crime to be treated with the same urgency as other forms of organised crime, including stricter monitoring, better training of staff and effective enforcement.

With clear protective measures and binding environmental targets, the EU Ports Strategy has the potential to help set a global standard for sustainable ports. Without these measures, Europe risks avoidable damage to marine life and coastal ecosystems.

Media contact:

Jürgen Noack
Communications Consultant
m: +32 470 48 49 05
e: [email protected]