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The fourth edition of Logistics for Europe, jointly organised by CLECAT and the European Shippers’ Council, brought together Europe’s logistics community in Brussels on 13 November to discuss how supply chains can remain resilient in an increasingly complex world. CLECAT President Dimitri Sérafimoff and ESC President Roman Stiftner opened the event by underlining the strategic importance of logistics for Europe’s competitiveness. They highlighted the growing gap between awareness of geopolitical and supply chain risks and the concrete actions taken to address them. “Our sector stands at the crossroads of geopolitical change, economic security and trusted data,” they noted, stressing that cooperation across the chain and with policymakers has become indispensable.

Building on this message, Luuk van Middelaar, Founder of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, set the geopolitical scene, describing a shift from a rules-based global order to one marked increasingly by power politics. He warned that Europe must be prepared for a world where supply chains are directly affected by strategic competition and shifting alliances. Professor Indra Vonck (BDO Belgium) added an economic perspective, showing how successive crises, from energy prices to geopolitical tensions, have exposed structural vulnerabilities and accelerated the need for long-term, strategic planning.

This theme of adaptation continued with René Buck from Buck Consultants International, who presented evidence that companies are actively reconfiguring their value chains, moving towards regionalisation, diversification and “de-strategies” such as de-risking, de-single-sourcing and nearshoring. From the policy side, Maria Martin-Prat, Deputy Director-General at DG TRADE, stressed that while Europe remains one of the most open economies in the world, openness must now be balanced with economic security and strengthened through diversification, free trade agreements and closer monitoring of strategic dependencies.

The operational realities of this shifting landscape were explored through the perspectives of shippers and freight forwarders. Jens Roemer (a. hartrodt / FIATA) described the pressures facing forwarders in Europe’s ports, including shrinking free times and unpredictable vessel arrivals, noting that forwarders remain the orchestrators of global connectivity but need stronger collaboration from all actors. Torsten Klimke from DG MOVE outlined forthcoming Commission work on ports and the role of ports in ensuring resilience, from alternative fuels to organised crime and military mobility. Insights from Rotterdam Customs and Seaport Police illustrated how coordinated public–private approaches have strengthened the fight against subversive crime in Europe’s largest port.

The second half of the programme focused on risk management, legal clarity and digitalisation. DG TAXUD’s Klemen Oven highlighted progress on the EU Customs Reform and the importance of trusted networks and common standards. Industry speakers including Andreas Wilhelm (Kuehne + Nagel) and Barry van Leuven (Pionira) addressed the growing complexity of supply chain threats, the need for clear contracts under changing liability rules, and the efficiency gains of e-documentation and hybrid digital workflows. Looking ahead, Aljosja Beise (Docklab) demonstrated how AI, IoT and blockchain solutions are already being deployed to improve compliance, traceability and resilience, The event concluded with insights from Sophie t’Serstevens (Kuehne Climate Center), who presented the Life-Links Framework as a collaborative method to prepare for climate-related disruptions increasingly affecting transport networks.

Across all interventions, participants emphasised that Europe’s supply chains operate in a more volatile and regulated environment than ever before. Resilience will rely on closer cooperation, smarter risk management and a rapid acceleration of digital solutions that enable secure and efficient trade.