EU må ikke undervurdere søtransportens strategiske værdi for EU's økonomi, idet 90 % af EU's handel med udlandet og 40 % af samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne foregår ad søvejen.
Europe must not underrate the strategic value of maritime transport to its economy: 90% of the European Union's foreign trade goes by sea, as does 40% of our intra-Community trade.