Mr Ambassador, from Poland’s point of view, how important is merchant shipping for Europe’s supply and security?
Jan Tombiński: Maritime trade and terminals in the Baltic Sea play a particularly important role in ensuring energy security, as they enable the diversification of energy supplies and the import of energy sources, including oil and gas, from alternative places of origin to make us less dependent on Russia. They are also crucial for the mobility of NATO forces and the security of the Alliance.
The key role of seaports requires consistent and effective strengthening of their resilience and an absolute guarantee of their security as prerequisites for reliable operation. The Polish government is pursuing a systemic approach to the development of seaports. In the current year, we intend to allocate almost half a billion euros for the development of the maritime sector. Our investment projects are not only focussed on pure port infrastructure, but also address access infrastructure and security issues.
As recently as 2004, Polish ports were only of marginal importance to international maritime transport, handling less than 57 million tonnes. A fundamental change has seen this figure grow rapidly since 2010. In 2023, a total of 145.7 million tonnes of freight were handled in Polish ports, with the entire EU-wide volume totalling 3.4 billion tonnes. Containers are becoming more and more important. In 2024, their number reached a record of almost 3.3 million TEU. With the opening of the deep-water terminal in Swinoujscie, the volume will increase by 2 million TEU.
How can Poland and Germany work more closely together on maritime security?
Jan Tombiński: We should develop the seaports for both, short sea shipping, for example as part of the European maritime transport concept, which is part of the Trans-European Transport Networks TEN-T, and for deep sea shipping, for example for the world’s major liner shipping companies. The current highly complex geopolitical situation makes it imperative to ensure that the port structure is fully prepared to receive strategic supplies efficiently – not only for the civilian sector, but also for the military sector. The supply of goods must function without the slightest interruption, continuously and predictably. Sharing experience, maintaining a good flow of information, and implementing joint German-Polish projects and exercises will strengthen the security not only of our countries, but also of the entire alliance.
Poland has taken over the EU Council Presidency with the motto “It’s about security, Europe!”. What are your country’s priorities in the field of shipping?
Jan Tombiński : In the area of maritime transport, the Polish Presidency is continuing work on amending the Regulation on the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) so that it can provide technical, operational and scientific support to the Member States and the Commission wherever it is necessary to ensure maritime safety and security as well as the environmental and digital transformation of the sector. Our focus is on improving defence and deterrence capabilities to better protect our seabed infrastructure, not least in the Baltic Sea, against hybrid threats.
