Greek shipyards have called the European Commission to recognise Greece as the Southern Pillar of European defence shipbuilding.
The aim is to establish Greece as a leading power, having an equal footing with France, Italy and Spain.
The board of the Hellenic Shipyards Association said the national objective is to ‘secure a stable share of European naval defense production’ covering every stage from design, construction, and support to sea trials and proposed an autonomous specialized recovery fund dedicated to the ‘Shipyard of the Future 2027–2035’ that would support infrastructure, digitalization, green transition, and skills development.
The current SAFE (Security Action for Europe) programme is failing, it said, as 60-70% of its resources are directed toward the space sector, while €15-17bn in unallocated funds are being diverted away from the shipbuilding industry.
The board proposes 25% of the SAFE to be earmarked for shipbuilding, maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities, and dual-use port facilities.
The board of the Hellenic Shipyards Association has unanimously adopted a proposal by its president, Panos Xenokostas, on the European defence shipbuilding industry ahead of Greece’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2027.
Under the title “Greece as the Southern Pillar of European Defence – A Proposal for the European Defence Shipbuilding Industry Ahead of Greece’s EU Council Presidency in the Second Half of 2027”, the Hellenic Shipyards Association submitted its proposals at a meeting with a special delegation from the European Commission.
The Association called for the institutionalisation of a 15-year National Shipbuilding Programme, led by a National Coordinator (a minister) modeled on the US Maritime Administrator. Currently, responsibilities for shipbuilding are dispersed across eight ministries.
It requests an explicit provision in the new regulation that will replace the directive 2009/81/EC. “For reasons of national security, member states may stipulate a minimum level of domestic value added. For shipbuilding, Greece sets this at 70%.”
They ask European programs to be designed to enable Greek shipyards to assume the role of prime contractor.
Furthermore, the Hellenic Shipyards Association board requested a transatlantic shipbuilding pact with the USA, establishing joint production lines for major defense, commercial, and energy projects.
