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Oceans and fisheries
News announcement24 June 2019Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Coast guard experts discuss burning issues in the Mediterranean

Illegal migration, fisheries control, maritime surveillance, environmental protection, oil spill response are just some of the challenges the coast guards have to deal with in their daily work. The eighth Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum plenary meeting held in Casablanca on 12-13 May 2019, addressed some of these issues and highlighted the importance of close cooperation among Coast Guards.

Representatives from the participant countries (Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey) and organisations (European Commission, EFCA, EMSA, Frontex, INTERPOL) agreed on the need to adopt a common approach in enforcing international conventions and instruments. The first step is to share information and best practices among European Coast Guard Functions Forum, Black Sea Cooperation forum, Atlantic Coast Guard Forum and Asian Coast Guard Agencies. A useful cooperation tool would be to develop guidelines to better support the implementation of sea basin and sub sea-basin strategies and initiatives.

Knowledge is best spread though participating in trainings and exchange programs organised by national maritime authorities in the region. A dedicated workshop on multipurpose operations will be co-organised with the EU coast Guard Agencies in spring 2020.

Details

Publication date
24 June 2019
Author
Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries