Establishes effective coordination pillars, especially for the exchange of information, supported in the case of police operations, reinforcement of training programs and management of services and staff.

SAR MEDOCC is a technical agreement between France, Spain and Italy on SAR organization in Western Mediterranean Sea and adjacent areas, in force since 1972. It aims at coordinating the SAR organizations of the three contracting parties regarding aircrafts in distress, according to Chicago convention on International Civil Aviation, and, as far as possible, safety of life at sea or ashore. Morocco takes part as an observer.

Through this bilateral plan, the French and the Spanish authorities agree for joint action in the case of maritime rescue, assistance to ship in distress, and marine pollution in the Bay of Biscay. The area is delimited by parallels 42°30’N and 46°00’N, meridian 10°25’W, and French and Spanish coasts. A separation line marks the limits of the areas of initial responsibility.

This bilateral operational cooperation plan signed in 1972 and updated in 2016 schedules terms of collaboration between French and Spanish authorities in the field of maritime rescue, marine pollution and assistance to ships in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. It gives details on the availability of air and naval assets in an area delimited by French and Spanish SRR as well as in the specific area of the LION Plan.

Since 2008, this technical agreement between the French Maritime Gendarmerie and Spanish Guardia Civil comes down to meetings, joint patrols on Atlantic and Mediterranean border sections, personnel exchange during illegal immigration and fishery control operations. In 2020, operations for securing Spanish leisure areas (for instance in the Baleares islands) will be added.

The purpose of the Committee is to promote the sustainable utilization of the living marine resources within its area of competence by the proper management and development of the fisheries and fishing operations. Established in 1967, its members are Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, the Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, European Union, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Togo, and the United States of America.

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) established under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. The main objective of the GFCM is to ensure the conservation and the sustainable use, at the biological, social, economic and environmental level, of living marine resources as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea (GFCM area of application). The GFCM is currently composed of 24 members (23 member countries and the European Union) who contribute to its autonomous budget to finance its functioning and 5 Cooperating non Contracting Parties (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova and Ukraine).

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the FAO supports all efforts to promote Blue Growth - with its emphasis on reconciling social and economic development with environmental performance - to all fisheries and aquaculture policies. It promotes and supports the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, in addition to providing scientific advice, strategic planning, and training materials. It serves as a neutral forum to discuss issues related to international cooperation and multistakeholder approaches. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) used by the FAO is the appropriate and practical way to implement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

The overall objective of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism is to strengthen cooperation between the EU Member States and 6 Participating States in the field of civil protection, with a view to improve prevention, preparedness and response to disasters. When the scale of an emergency overwhelms the response capabilities of a country, it can request assistance via the Mechanism. The European Commission plays a key role in coordinating the response to disasters in Europe and beyond and contributes to at least 75% of the transport and/or operational costs of deployments. In addition to the EU Member States, the six participating states are Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey.

The Paris MOU is based on the principle that the prime responsibility for compliance with the requirements laid down in the international maritime conventions lies with the ship-owner/operator. Responsibility for ensuring compliance remains with the flag State. It aims to eliminate the operation of sub-standard ships through a harmonized system of port State control. The members are Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

The Plan aims to identify the status of SAR preparedness of EUR Region States and State SAR arrangements. It also makes recommendations for SAR planning and preparedness enhancements, in terms of compliance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Annex 12, the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual guidance, and accepted best international practice. It provides recommendations to IMO for harmonised and interoperable delivery of both aeronautical and maritime SAR services. It requires regular updating to keep current with changes in ICAO Annexes and guidance material, the IAMSAR Manual, regional aviation activity, developments in ATM system, new technology, political considerations, as well as human performance lessons learned from actual SAR responses.

Initially, IALA was a non-profit, international technical association. Established in 1957, it gathered marine aids to navigation authorities, manufacturers, consultants, and, scientific and training institutes from all parts of the world to exchange and compare their experiences and achievements. On 22 August 2024, it officially changed its status from a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) to an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO) based on a Convention.
The aim of IALA is to foster the safe, economic and efficient movement of vessels, through improvement and harmonisation of aids to navigation worldwide and other appropriate means, for the benefit of the maritime community and the protection of the environment.

It provides for recommendations (soft law).