The EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions (EPP-CoR) is calling for the EU Ports Strategy to recognise ports not simply as transport infrastructure, but as strategic economic and social lifelines for Europe’s regions and islands. EU transport and funding policies must take account of the territorial role of ports, particularly in island, outermost, coastal and peripheral regions, where entire communities can depend on a single port for their connectivity, essential supplies and access to public services. The call is at the heart of the opinion on the EU Ports Strategy, prepared by Kevin Cauchi (MT/EPP), Mayor of Għajnsielem, and adopted by the European Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) in Cáceres, Spain.
The opinion calls for a place-based approach that reflects the very different roles played by Europe’s ports and ensures that local and regional authorities are fully involved in decisions affecting their territories. “This opinion stresses that European ports must be recognized not merely as transport gateways, but as strategic socio-economic ecosystems essential for achieving true territorial cohesion across all European islands and regions. The EU Ports Strategy must directly tackle specific region challenges by taking into account the distinct needs of coastal, peripheral, outermost, and island territories through a place-based approach and multilevel governance. For island communities that rely entirely on single port gateways as critical lifelines for basic connectivity, essential supplies, and public services, future EU transport and funding frameworks must evaluate ports based on their vital territorial role rather than volume metrics. Ultimately, ensuring that no port or community is left behind is fundamental to building a resilient, connected, and balanced European Union,” said Kevin Cauchi, Mayor of Għajnsielem and rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions on the EU Ports Strategy.
For islands in particular, ports are lifelines. The opinion stresses that maritime connectivity is a question of territorial accessibility, not merely transport. Small island ports can be essential for residents, public services, economic activity, tourism and emergency response, despite handling comparatively small passenger or cargo volumes. It therefore calls for future EU transport funding to assess island, outermost and regional ports according to their essential territorial function rather than standard volume metrics.
Cauchi’s own region illustrates this dependence. Gozo relies entirely on the port of Mġarr for essential supplies, daily commuting, healthcare logistics and emergency access. The opinion argues that such island ports require place-based funding and specific safeguards reflecting the permanent disadvantages of insularity.
It also calls for targeted EU support to offset higher transport, energy and logistics costs in island regions and for the formal recognition of double insularity in EU transport and cohesion policy, backed by dedicated funding instruments.
The opinion also defends a strong, place-based Cohesion Policy as a key source of investment in Europe's ports. Local and regional authorities should be meaningfully involved throughout the policy cycle, while port investments should form part of integrated territorial development plans and be reflected in territorial or regional chapters of the future National and Regional Partnership Plans.
Greater coordination between EU funding instruments must not result in cohesion resources being transferred towards centrally managed programmes at the expense of subsidiarity and regional investment. Beyond connectivity, ports are central to regional economic development, energy, resilience and security. The opinion calls for stronger links between ports and regional transport networks, energy systems and industrial ecosystems, while recognising local and regional authorities as key partners in spatial planning, critical infrastructure protection, emergency preparedness and crisis response.
The opinion is scheduled for final adoption by the European Committee of the Regions plenary on 2 December 2026.