The Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum (MAIIF) is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of maritime safety and the prevention of marine pollution through the exchange of ideas, experiences and information acquired in marine accident investigation. It aims to promote and improve marine accident investigation, and to foster cooperation and communication between marine accident investigators. It aims to develop and sustain a co-operative relationship among national marine investigators in order to share knowledge in an international forum, and to improve maritime safety and the prevention of pollution via the dissemination of information from the investigative process. 

The Council of the Baltic Sea States is an overall political forum for regional cooperation. Consisting of 11 Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia & Sweden), as well as a representative of the European Union, it supports a global perspective on regional problems. The Council of the Baltic Sea States functions as a coordinator of a multitude of regional actors in the areas of its three long-term priorities: Regional Identity, Sustainable & Prosperous Region, and Safe & Secure Region. Set up in 1992 to ease the transition to a new international landscape, the organisation today focuses on themes such as societal security, sustainability, research & innovation, as well as countering human trafficking.

The North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF), formed in 2007, aims to increase cooperation amongst member countries on maritime safety and security in the region. The NACGF is not policy or regulatory oriented, is non-binding, voluntary, and operates within existing legal frameworks. Its members are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland have observer status.

The Baltic Sea Task Force on Organised Crime (BSTF-OC) was created in 1996 in Visby (Sweden) through a decision of the Heads of Governments of the Baltic Sea States. It comprises 11 personal representatives of the Heads of Governments of the Baltic Sea States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden). Officials from Interpol, Europol, the EU Council and the Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States have the status of observers at the BSTF meetings.

BALTFISH was initiated in 2009 as a flagship project within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSBSR. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December 2013 by the ministers in the eight member states in the Baltic Sea Region, and thus changing the status of BALTFISH from a flagship project to a permanent fisheries forum. BALTFISH works on two levels. There is a high-level group (HLG) composed of the Member States fisheries directors and invited officials from the European Commission. There is also the BALTFISH Forum Seminar composed of representatives from Member States, the European Commission and the Baltic Sea Advisory Council as well as representatives from other relevant stakeholders in the Baltic Sea fisheries.

The Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) is a flexible regional tool for daily inter-agency interaction in the field of environmental protection. It also aims to combat cross-border crime in the Baltic Sea region, with a particular focus on the maritime environment. Cooperation Partners are Police, Border Guards, Coast Guards and Customs Authorities. The BSRBCC Border Guard Chiefs meet annually and is responsible for the cooperation initiative, and approving the operational strategy. It also has an operational and economic mandate for cooperation. The BSRBCC presidency, which is for one year, is supported by a secretariat, which includes representatives from the last, current and next Presidency, thereby ensuring continuity. The Baltic Border Committee (BBC) prepares and implements the cooperation strategy through joint operations, where national representatives integrate national action and local cooperation into wider cooperation as necessary. Each MS operates a 24/7 National Coordination Centre (NCC), whilst the Presidency maintains an International Coordination Centre (ICC).

HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – Helsinki Commission) is the governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, known as the Helsinki Convention. The Contracting Parties are Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. HELCOM was established about four decades ago to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation. Its vision for the future is a healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities. It also includes cooperation mechanisms for fisheries and navigation safety.

AQUAPOL’s vision is for a more safe, secure and environmental-friendly waterborne transport in Europe by enhancement of law-enforcement through cross-border cooperation. The AQUAPOL organisation acts as a platform for learning and for a permanent exchange of good practice for law-enforcement in the domain of waterborne transport in Europe. Its main activities are focussed on exchange of intelligence, exchange of operational information and experience, and cross border cooperation in day-to-day law-enforcement work. AQUAPOL works closely together with a number of external stakeholders at operational, policy, and legislative level.