A working meeting with the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, was held by the members of the Presidency of the Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME), at the “Bergamont” building, headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
The meeting took place in the context of ELIME’s participation to represent Greek ports in the annual general assembly of the European Seaports Organization (ESPO), which took place in Brussels, on November 4-6, 2025.
The working meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and key issues that concern Greek and European ports today were discussed:
The green transition of ports, with an emphasis on reducing emissions and using clean fuels/energy (example: “Cold Ironing”).
The interconnection of ports with rail infrastructure and the development of multimodal solutions for the hinterland.
The issue of “Military Mobility” — i.e. the theoretical and practical movement of military vehicles and equipment — and the facilitation projects planned by the European Union in the context of supporting the security and resilience of European connectivity.
The issue of strengthening resources for transport and military mobility was also discussed, which is included in the next programming period of the Connecting Europe Facility 3 (CEF 3) and it has been proposed, among other things, to allocate an amount of EUR 17.65 billion for military mobility.
Regarding Greek ports, the leading role that Greece can play in the SE Mediterranean region was highlighted, while the crucial importance of cooperation between member state ports and European institutions was emphasized for the further maturation and financing of projects that have already been prioritized.
The working meeting of the members of the ELIME Presidium with the European Commissioner was highly constructive and it was jointly agreed to maintain systematic and substantial communication, so that our country can effectively utilize the opportunities that are opening up for the national port system, within the EU framework.
In a statement, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ELIME, Mr. Apostolos Kamarinakis, expresses the warm thanks of the Presidency of the Union to the European Commissioner, Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, for his positive response and the particular attention he has shown to the major issues of concern to Greek ports.
On the part of the Union, the meeting was attended by the President Mr. Apostolos Kamarinakis (CEO of the Port of Elefsina SA), the First Vice President Mr. Panagiotis Tsonis (Deputy CEO of the Port of Piraeus SA), the Secretary General Mr. Socrates Anagnostou (CEO of the Port of Volos SA), the Financial Supervisor Mr. George Vakondios (CEO of the Port of Lavrio SA), the member of the Board of Directors Mr. Minas Papadakis (CEO of the Port of Heraklion SA) and the Executive Director of the Union Mr. Vasilios Mamalis. Also present was the Maritime Transport Attaché at the EU Permanent Representation, Mr. Antonis Avranas.
