The ports of North Sea Port, Antwerp-Brugge, Rotterdam, Ostend, and Moerdijk have welcomed the final declaration of the Port Summit held on October 5, 2026, in Meise. The governments of Flanders, the Netherlands, and North Rhine-Westphalia endorsed the strategic importance of the ARRRA cluster: the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr Area.
This cross-border region forms an integrated industrial and logistical ecosystem and is one of the main drivers of the European economy. Together with the German ports of Duisburg and Cologne, the involved Flemish and Dutch ports represent an added value of approximately 65 billion euros and nearly 600,000 jobs. However, high energy prices, international competition, slow permitting processes, and regulatory differences increasingly weigh on competitiveness.
The involved ports have been collaborating on various fronts for some time and sent a joint letter in June 2026 to the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Flanders, outlining three priorities: a level playing field for companies, better cross-border energy infrastructure, and faster permitting through so-called acceleration areas. These priorities are clearly reflected in the final declaration of the Port Summit.
CEOs of the port companies expressed satisfaction with the declaration, stating it provides important answers to the challenges currently faced by their ports and industries. They emphasized the clear reflection of their three priorities – a level playing field, cross-border energy infrastructure, and faster permitting – and called for swift translation into concrete measures and investments, with the ports ready to play their part alongside governments and the European Union.
The ports highlighted passages concerning the harmonization and joint interpretation of regulations, as well as the removal of cross-border regulatory barriers, which they believe aligns with their request to strengthen the level playing field between different industrial clusters. Furthermore, the further development of cross-border energy infrastructure, particularly for hydrogen and CO₂, was noted as a key point, essential for enabling investments and accelerating sustainability.
The concept of treating the ARRRA cluster as a cross-border acceleration area was also positively received. This approach aims to reduce regulatory burdens and enhance legal certainty for investments in socially and economically important projects. Faster and predictable permitting processes are considered crucial by the ports to prevent investments in energy, industry, logistics, and the circular economy from stalling.
In addition to the main priorities, the involved authorities also intend to strengthen cross-border cooperation on the circular economy, sustainable shipping, and innovation. The goal is for the ARRRA cluster to evolve into an attractive investment region and a European testbed for areas such as autonomous logistics and new technologies.
The ports concur with the governments' signal that the sustainability of European industry can only succeed through cross-border collaboration. The focus now is on ensuring that the agreements from the Port Summit of October 5, 2026, are well-coordinated, periodically monitored, and, most importantly, translated into concrete actions and results by governments, ports, and in conjunction with the EU.
