Bucharest, Romania – From May 18 to 20, 2026, the European freight forwarding community will converge in Bucharest for a landmark industry event: the European Freight Forwarders Congress. Held under the prestigious patronage of FIATA, this event combines the 16th SEEFF Congress (South Eastern European Freight Forwarders Association) and the 2nd FIATA REU Field Meeting (Region Europe).
Alexandru Nicola: Deputy Commercial Director of Unicom Tranzit, Alexandru Nicola, brought a dose of self-criticism to the panel discussion of the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, noting that service providers still prevail at conferences, rather than real cargo owners.
Head of Port Development at Mukran, Helmut Seilert, presented a unique concept of connecting two seas at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference.
Director of Strategic Projects and Network Development at Hupac Intermodal S.A. Alberto Grisone, speaking at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, highlighted a critical issue in Romania’s rail sector – the ongoing decline in transport speed. According to him, while in 2012 a freight train crossed Romania in around 21 hours, today the same transit takes 27–30 hours. He stressed that the industry needs to return to a benchmark of 18 hours in order to make the Constanța corridor truly competitive.
Head of Insurance at Marine Insurance Services, Stanislav Kovaliov, presented sobering risk statistics at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference. One of the most important facts is that in the event of a maritime accident under the General Average principle, cargo owners may be required to pay 10–20% of the cargo value to cover salvage operations. In such cases, the freight forwarder’s liability does not apply – only direct cargo insurance can provide protection.
Head of Sales at VTG Rail Europe Elena Margl, speaking at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, presented rail transport as the most stable solution in times of global uncertainty. While air and road transport are affected by fuel price volatility and longer routes, rail offers a transparent cost structure and compliance with emerging carbon regulations.
DP World has introduced a unique war risk insurance solution for cargo owners operating on Middle East routes – a region where traditional insurance instruments have become fragmented, expensive, or entirely unavailable. The new program ensures continuous coverage across the entire supply chain: from sea or air transport to port storage and subsequent inland delivery. This eliminates critical gaps found in standard policies, which typically provide coverage for only a single stage of the transportation process. Thanks to the company’s scale and its partnerships within the global insurance market, the cost of the policy is significantly lower than typical war risk premiums.
Liliana Krutonog, CEO of MALBI-trans, announced a project to launch a new multimodal route from the Persian Gulf countries to Europe at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference. The route is intended to become a reliable alternative to the Suez Canal amid ongoing instability.
Commercial Director of Carpatica Feroviar Romania Renata Godja, speaking at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, presented the company as a new national player ready to challenge stagnation in the freight transport market. The company operates an impressive asset base of 200 locomotives and 6,450 wagons, maintained in seven in-house workshops across the country. The speaker emphasized that in a rapidly changing logistics environment, railways must become the “green” backbone of the economy.
Associate Director for Infrastructure at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Venera Vlad, speaking at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, presented the bank’s financial strategy, highlighting that since 1991 it has invested more than €200 billion across 7,000 projects. A distinctive feature of the EBRD’s approach is its strict policy of not financing fossil fuel transportation, with a full focus on the green transition and low-carbon solutions.
