Rethinking Supply Chains – ESC and CLECAT call for Collaboration

22 November 2024

19 November 2024, at the third Logistics for Europe conference in Brussels, CLECAT (European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics, and Customs Services) and the European Shippers' Council (ESC) brought together shippers, freight forwarders, logistics professionals, policymakers, and industry experts to address the pressing challenges of resilience, sustainability, and competitiveness in European supply chains.

Fotini Ioannidou, Director of Waterborne Transport at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), delivered a keynote address on EU policies impacting freight transport. She emphasised the importance of the Green Deal and the upcoming EU Ports Strategy supporting resilient supply chains capable of addressing climate, economic and geopolitical challenges.

In another keynote, Klaus Dohrmann, Vice President and Global Head of Innovation & Trend Research at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, presented the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on supply chains. Mr Dohrmann highlighted the importance of innovation and collaboration across the logistics sector to ensure that Europe remains competitive.

The conference featured three panels addressing critical issues:

Future-Proofing EU Policy: MEP Mika Aaltola (EPP, Finland) and Tomas Arvidsson of the European Economic and Social Committee discussed Europe's preparedness for crises. Both emphasised that the Draghi report should serve as a wake-up call for EU political leadership, urging a shift in mindset toward building greater resilience against geopolitical tensions, climate challenges, and economic pressures.

Innovation and Collaboration for Secure and Agile Supply Chains: Experts including Frank Heijmann from Dutch Customs, Professor Albert Veenstra of the Rotterdam School of Management, Enrika Naujokė, CEO of CustomsClear, and Lamia Kerdjoudj, Secretary General of FEPORT, explored how public-private partnerships and innovation can enhance security while ensuring operational efficiency. Effective collaboration among supply chain partners and with authorities is essential to mitigate the impact of organised crime, most notably from drugs trafficking.

Rethinking Supply Chains to Support EU Business: Industry leaders including Avra Tzeveleki, Director CSR Europe CEVA Logistics, Katja Idsinga-Schellaars, Senior Director of Global Customs and Compliance at TEVA, Nancy Lindenhovius, Compliance Officer at Wilmar Europe, and Luc Pfennings, Senior Manager at KPMG Netherlands, examined how businesses can deal with the complexities of EU sustainability regulations while maintaining operational flexibility and competitiveness. While regulatory certainty and balance were acknowledged as critical for effective compliance, the discussion also highlighted the need for simplified frameworks to support SMEs in navigating the complexities of the regulatory landscape.

Participants stressed the need for stronger collaboration between public and private partners but equally between partners in the supply chains, digital transformation, and a pragmatic approach to EU regulations to ensure sustainable growth and resilience. CLECAT and ESC reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for policies that support the competitiveness and sustainability of European supply chains.