Modern, sustainable and efficient sea and inland ports are an important basis for advancing Germany's sustainability and climate goals and ensuring a strong economy. The coalition agreement for the 20th legislative period therefore includes a mandate to develop a national strategy for sea and inland ports.

The Federal Cabinet adopted the National Ports Strategy on 20 March 2024. It follows on from the 2015 National Ports Strategy.

The objective of the National Ports Strategy is to strengthen the competitiveness of the sea and inland ports in view of the wide-ranging challenges posed by transformation processes, climate change, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and changes in global trade.

The National Ports Strategy comprises five fields of action and is divided into a strategic part and a part detailing the measures to be taken.

The fields of action for the National Ports Strategy are:

• Strengthen Germany’s competitiveness as a port location
• Make ports sustainable hubs for the transformation of the energy system, climate-neutral shipping and industry as well as for modal shift
• Actively shape and drive the digital transformation
• Secure and future-proof training and jobs
• Maintain, upgrade and protect transport and communications infrastructure in line with demand

 

Federal Cabinet adopts National Strategy for Sea and Inland Ports

With the National Ports Strategy, we are shaping the ports policy of the future. Under the lead responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, the Federal Government, the federal states, the ports sector, associations and the trade union Verdi have developed the National Ports Strategy. Following adoption by the Cabinet, it contains strategic goals, as well as around 140 operational measures. They must now be implemented.

In order to ensure that the document is as up-to-date and relevant as possible, the part detailing the measures is designed as a ‘living document’. It is continuously developed and updated: New measures can be added at any time and measures that have already been implemented can be removed.

With the publication of the National Ports Strategy, the mandate from the coalition agreement has been fulfilled. The Federal Government's aim is also to ensure that the measures are implemented together with the stakeholders under the lead responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.