Vulnerabilities of EU inland ports: workshop on criminal threats and resilience strategies

How do criminal networks exploit vulnerabilities of Europe’s inland ports, and what can be done to tackle this?

To address this question, Ecorys and Fondazione SAFE, in collaboration with the European Ports Alliance, co-hosted an online workshop focused on vulnerabilities of EU river and inland ports. The event was held within the EMPACT 2025 High Risk Criminal Network cycle as part of Operational Action 7.1.

The workshop brought together law enforcement representatives, researchers, industry stakeholders, and policy officials from the European Commission. Key topics included:

• The lack of updated and shared data on risks;
• Limited awareness and understanding of criminal modus operandi;
• Successful interventions implemented in different European ports.

Attention was also given to strategies designed to strengthen the resilience of EU inland ports, including the recently published EU Port Strategy, which provides guidance for preventing, detecting, and countering criminal activity.