China must not hold the key to our ports

The EU Ports Strategy must go further to address the growing footprint of Chinese state-controlled investors in Europe’s most critical maritime gateways. The EPP Group welcomes this long-overdue Ports Strategy, but underlines the need for concrete measures.

The initiative presented today by the European Commission outlines measures to reinforce the security, resilience and global competitiveness of Europe’s ports.

“Europe’s ports are the backbone of our external trade and internal market. Around 74% of all goods entering and leaving the European Union are handled through seaports. They are not only logistics hubs – they are strategic assets at the heart of Europe’s economic security. The involvement of external state-backed actors in such assets must therefore be assessed with the utmost scrutiny,” said Jens Gieseke MEP, EPP Group Spokesman for Transport and Tourism.

“China today holds stakes in more than twenty European ports – including the Port of Hamburg and the Port of Rotterdam. The Port of Piraeus is even fully controlled by Chinese operators. This level of exposure in critical infrastructure cannot be ignored,” Gieseke continued.

Against this backdrop, strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy over its ports is no longer optional – it is a necessity. The EPP Group stresses that Europe must ensure that control over its import and export infrastructure can never be leveraged for political pressure or economic coercion.

“The European Commission’s Ports Strategy is a first step in the right direction. But a strategy alone is not enough. We need concrete safeguards, stronger investment screening, and a coherent European framework that protects our critical infrastructure,” Gieseke added.

“Europe’s ports are the front door to our continent – and that door must be properly secured. Whether it is foreign state actors acquiring strategic control or organised crime exploiting ports for drug trafficking, Member States cannot be left to deal with these threats alone. We need stronger European coordination, clear security standards, and a unified response,” Gieseke stressed.