Starting in January 2026, Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the European Council for six months, and shipping will be one of its key areas of work.
President Nikos Christodoulides stated that supporting the maritime industry is a national mission: strengthening the competitiveness of the European fleet and strengthening Europe’s defense.
📌 Cyprus’s key priorities:
🔘Development of EU maritime transport in the global market;
🔘Education and retraining of seafarers, with a particular focus on attracting women;
🔘Digitalization and decarbonization of the fleet;
🔘Supporting shipowners in the transition to sustainable technologies.
🚢 The EU has already launched the “Competitiveness Compass”—a roadmap to help close the technological gap with the US and China and make shipping greener and safer.
A program to develop alternative fuels for ships is also planned.
💬 The EU and Cyprus stated that their goal is to create a level playing field for shipping worldwide and give the European fleet a competitive advantage.
✈️ For seafarers, this means more opportunities for training, fleet modernization, and employment on new-generation “green” ships.
Seamen’s Club 🇺🇦 | #news