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Mediterranean AIS Regional Exchange System - MareΣ

Source: Italian Coast Guard Website

The Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 requires the Member States (MSs) to provide themselves with appropriate equipment and shore-based installations for receiving and utilizing the AIS information transmitted by the vessels. The Member States agreed to implement common regional systems hosted and developed by one of them. EMSA and the Italian Coast Guard subscribed, since 2009, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) by which Italy is responsible for the hosting, maintenance, operation, and monitoring of the Mediterranean AIS Regional Server (MAREΣ) and its connection with SafeSeaNet. Part of SafeSeaNet, MAREΣ (Mediterranean AIS Regional Exchange System) officially started to run on 1st January 2008; currently it allows the AIS information sharing among Mediterranean EU countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia) and non-EU which agreed to share AIS data between themselves (e.g., Jordan, Morocco, and Montenegro).

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Ship and Port Security

Bonn Agreement - Cooperation in Dealing with Pollution in the North Sea

Source: Bonn Agreement Website

The Bonn Agreement is the mechanism by which ten Governments, together with the European Union, cooperate in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances. The signatories to the Agreement are the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the European Union. Spain joined as a Contracting Party in 2019.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

Barcelona Convention - Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Regions of the Mediterranean

Source: United Nations Environment Programme Website

The Barcelona Convention aims to address in a holistic manner all sources of pollution, which may threaten the marine environment of the Mediterranean and its coastal areas. In particular, the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea is the legal framework within which regional cooperation in the fields of prevention of and response to marine pollution from ships is developing. A regional strategy aims to improve the follow-up of pollution events and monitoring/surveillance of illicit discharges. The 22 Contracting Parties are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the EU.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

AQUAPOL - International Police Cooperation on the Water

Source: AQUAPOL Website

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.

Coast Guard Functions
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Ship and Port Security

Arctic Council

Source: Artic Council Website

The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. The Council Member States are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the US. In addition, six organisations representing Arctic indigenous peoples have status as Permanent Participants. The Council operates a number of different Task Forces on issues such as Marine Cooperation, Search and Rescue, Oil Pollution Prevention, Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response etc.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

Arctic and North Atlantic Security and Emergency Preparedness Network (ARCSAR)

Source: ARCSAR

The ARCSAR network addresses the Arctic and North-Atlantic (ANA) region, preparing to cope with the Security and safety threats that will result from increased commercial activity in the region including traffic through the Northern passages, cruise traffic, and offshore oil and gas activity. It aims to establish and support a new Arctic and North Atlantic Security and Emergency Preparedness Network for those involved in front-line security and emergency response, directly involving practitioners, existing networks, university stakeholders, research centres, industry, and those involved in governance, and policy-making.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

FRANCE

Submitted by admin on

French maritime domain extends on 10.2 million km2: 372.000 km2 on mainland, divided in 3 areas (North Sea and Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean), 9.9 million km2 overseas (in the northern Atlantic, Caribbean islands, South America, Southern Indian Ocean, and Pacific ocean). To tackle the specific challenges of each area, French organisation is based on the principle of a strong coordination of the administrations involved in Coast Guard Functions. A single authority representing the Prime Minister carries out this coordination:

  • At national/strategic level, the General secretariat for the Sea (SGMer) is in charge of coordinating the maritime policy and strategic planning (it includes the SECMAR body, an inter-ministerial research and coordination organisation for maritime SAR operations as set out in the SAR Convention) - see here contact information;
  • At regional/operational level: the Maritime Prefects (for mainland) and Government Delegate for State action at sea (overseas) are the representatives of the State at sea in their areas of responsibility, in charge of coordinating operational response and related activities. They receive their directives from the General secretariat for the Sea.

For restricted contact information click here (only accessible when logged in).

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