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European Association of Airport and Seaport Police (EAASP)

Source: EAASP Website

The EAASP aims to work in partnership through the mutual exchange of knowledge and practices to make the ports of Europe a safe environment for the communities they serve. The responsibility for the control of seaports within EAASP member countries lies, as it does with aviation, with national organisations. However, the EAASP Maritime Group (EMG) can, and does, play an important role in the coordination and implementation of joint security operations carried out by those organisations, as well as legislative changes relating to the management and security of seaports. The EMG promotes common standards and inter-operability, and aims to develop the exchange of information and intelligence.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Ship and Port Security

North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF)

Source: Defense Media Network

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.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Border Control
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Ship and Port Security
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management

Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N)

Source: MAOC-N Website

The Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC (N)), based in Lisbon, has 7 EU Member Countries: France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and the UK. It is co-funded by the Internal Security Fund of the EU and is a forum for multi-lateral cooperation to suppress illicit drug trafficking by sea and air. It is a European Law Enforcement unit with military support that coordinates maritime and aviation intelligence, resources and trained personnel to respond to the threat of illicit drug trafficking.

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

Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum (MCGFF)

Source: Secretariat General for the Sea - CGF Ops Center

The Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum (MCGFF) is a non-binding, voluntary, independent and non-political forum bringing together representatives from institutions and agencies with related competencies in coast guard functions in the Mediterranean. The aim is to facilitate multilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues such as maritime safety, security and environmental protection activities as well as creating partnerships to share experience and best practices on common problems.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

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

Black Sea Cooperation Forum (BSCF)

Source: BSCForum Website

The Black Sea Cooperation Forum was established in 2000, between the Coast Guard / Border Authorities of the Black Sea states, namely Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russian Federation and Georgia. The main purpose is to enhance peace, stability and maritime security in the Black Sea area, by increasing regional co-operation, and improving good relationship. Its tasks include enhancing existing interaction among border/coast guard agencies to prevent illegal activities, as well as strengthening the safety and security of navigation in the Black Sea. It conducts counterterrorism and weapon of mass destruction non-proliferation activities. It aims to help improve cooperation in the areas of fishery protection, search and rescue, marine pollution, marine environmental protection, information exchange, personnel exchange programs, joint/shared training.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security
Countries involved

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 Coast Guard Forum (ACGF)

Source: ACGF Website

The Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) is an independent, informal, operationally driven organization, not bound by treaty, to foster safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic. All Arctic countries, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States are members of the forum. The ‘Chair’ duties of the ACGF rotate every two years in concert with the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Iceland is the chair for the Forum in 2019 - 2021. The work of the ACGF is headed by the ACGF Chair and supported by the Secretariat and Working Groups. The Secretariat is responsible for implementing strategic direction and the operation of the ACGF and its Working Groups.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities
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