SHIPPING’S INDISPENSABLE AND STRATEGIC ROLE

The Stalwart of EU Autonomy and Resilience

Shipping guarantees the competitiveness of the EU economy, as well as its energy, food and supply chain security:

• More than 75% of EU’s external trade is carried by vessels (Figure 9).
• Shipping also accounts for over two thirds (67.4%) of freight transport in the EU, based on tonne-km.
• Regarding energy security, the dependency of EU Member States on imports reaches 97% for oil and petroleum products, and 85% for natural gas^[6]. Shipping plays an indispensable role in ensuring their uninterrupted flow (Figure 10).

Especially, in the current context of geopolitical instability and increasing global competition, maintaining a strong and competitive European shipping sector is therefore critical for Europe’s economic resilience and prosperity. 

Greek shipping is the stalwart of the EU-controlled fleet, accounting for 61% of the total capacity^[7], while its leadership in strategic ship types is even more pronounced (Figure 11).

EU’s biggest strategic asset for its autonomy and resilience is EU shipping, 61% of which is Greek-controlled.

[6] Eurostat, Energy in Europe - 2026 edition, 2026 (energy dependency is defined as % of net imports in gross available energy)

[7] European Commission, EU transport in figures - Statistical pocketbook 2025, 2025