A competitive transport system depends on more than the movement of passengers and goods. It also requires resilient infrastructure, sufficient investment, skilled workers and the capacity to adapt to technological, environmental and geopolitical change.
On 22 July, the European Commission published a new overview of current trends and developments across the EU transport sector. The report examines competitiveness from several perspectives, including sustainability, connectivity, resilience, safety, security and the social dimension of mobility.
Transport remains a major part of the European economy, comprising approximately 1.4 million companies and employing around 10.4 million people. The report brings together indicators on energy consumption, alternative fuels, infrastructure development and investment, accompanied by individual factsheets for each Member State.
For ports and terminals, comparable and reliable data are essential to assessing infrastructure needs and designing effective European policies. Freight volumes alone do not provide a complete picture of the investments required to electrify terminal equipment, strengthen rail and inland-waterway connections, improve digital resilience and adapt port infrastructure to new security requirements.
FEPORT supports a stronger evidence-based approach to European transport policy. Future monitoring should adequately reflect the contribution of private terminal operators and the substantial investments they make in infrastructure, equipment, digitalisation and decarbonisation.
The information collected should ultimately support policy decisions, funding programmes and regulatory measures that respond to operational realities. Better data will be particularly valuable as the EU seeks to reconcile competitiveness, resilience and decarbonisation across its transport network.
