EU TEN-T Coordinator for the European Maritime Space
Gesine Meissner is a renowned expert on European maritime policy and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP). As an MEP from 2009 to 2019, she was a key figure in shaping policies on transport, fisheries and environmental sustainability, particularly in the maritime context. She chaired the European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands, and Coastal Areas (SEARICA), a platform that brought together policy makers, industry representatives and NGOs to promote sustainable maritime development.
Ms. Meissner has played a key role in numerous legislative efforts, including the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and the Port Reception Facilities Directive, which aim to improve maritime safety and environmental protection in European ports. Her expertise also led to her appointment as Special Envoy of the President of the European Parliament on maritime policy in 2018.
Following her time in the European Parliament, Ms Meissner remained deeply involved in maritime policy, serving on the EU Mission Board on Healthy Oceans, Seas, Coastal and Inland Waters and chairing of German National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Since September 2024, Ms. Meissner has been the European Coordinator for the European Maritime Space under the revised Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation. In this role, she draws on her extensive maritime policy experience to improve the integration of maritime transport infrastructure into the wider EU transport network, with a focus on decarbonisation, sustainable development of European ports and promotion of short sea shipping.
