Address to the Malta International Shipowners’ Association 20th Anniversary Exchange
This year marks an important turning point for Europe’s maritime sector.
The IMO’s new Net Zero Framework, the EU’s Port Strategy, and Malta’s own Envision 2050 and forthcoming National Maritime Strategy together shape how we approach the next chapter of European shipping.
At the heart of this conversation lies a question often framed as a trade-off: can competitiveness and sustainability truly coexist?
The answer is yes. Not only can they coexist, but one depends on the other.
A competitive Europe must be a sustainable Europe. And a sustainable Europe must remain competitive if it is to lead globally.
Malta’s competitive edge
Malta, though small, stands tall in this equation.
We are one of the world’s largest shipping registries, built on a reputation for credibility, efficiency and trust.
That reputation is not the product of chance. It is the result of consistency, competence and partnership.
Our challenge now is to maintain that edge in a world undergoing profound transition.
Cleaner fuels, digital innovation and modern port infrastructure are not optional extras. They are the foundations of future competitiveness.
Because decarbonisation does not weaken industry. It defines it.
Leading by example
A clear example of this is the shore to ship power project at the Grand Harbour, the only one of its kind in the Mediterranean.
It allows ships to switch off their engines while berthed and connect directly to shore side electricity, cutting emissions and improving air quality.
As the system now expands to the Freeport, Malta is showing how sustainability and competitiveness can grow together, when vision meets action.
Europe’s role
But maintaining momentum requires more than national effort.
Europe must ensure that regulation supports innovation rather than stifles it.
We need less bureaucracy, more flexibility and financing instruments that reach small and medium sized enterprises, the real backbone of European shipping.
Competitiveness is not protected by speeches. It is safeguarded by sound policy and timely decisions.
Delivering through partnership
In Malta, partnership is not a slogan. It is a working method.
When new EU rules risked overburdening our tug operators, we worked through the delegated act and fixed it.
When MEPs needed to understand the double insularity challenge, we brought them to Malta to see it for themselves.
That is how understanding becomes policy and partnership becomes progress.
A European legacy
As Malta finalises its new Maritime Strategy and the EU advances its Industrial Maritime Agenda, the focus must remain on what truly drives competitiveness: clarity, competence and courage to act.
Because the strength of EU shipping will not be measured by how many reports we write, but by whether our ports, our people and our fleets can continue to lead the world.
Malta will keep doing its part, agile, credible and ambitious, so that Europe remains a global leader at sea.
Because the legacy we leave must be a maritime Europe that not only stays afloat, but sets the course for others to follow.