These partners make a number of recommendations for overcoming the hurdles to creating a Common Information Sharing Environment ('CISE') for the surveillance of the EU maritime domain.
Commissioner Maria Damanaki welcomed the final report: "Our objective is to ensure safer seas while saving costs. I welcome the results of the MARSUNO project which has demonstrated that data-sharing across borders and across sectors like maritime transport, environmental protection, customs, border guarding, fishery inspection, law enforcement and defence is possible and improves reaction capacity."
MARSUNO was a 24-month pilot project involving nine Member States: Sweden as lead partner, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, in partnership with Norway, inviting Russia as an observer. In total 24 public authorities were involved.
The project's objective was to support the creation of the 'CISE' by identifying practical solutions to overcome legal, technical and administrative hurdles to cross-sectorial and cross-border information sharing between maritime authorities. MARSUNO is one of two dedicated pilot projects that feed the Commission's six step Roadmap process towards establishing CISE.
MARSUNO concludes that establishing a functional and efficient CISE for all authorities acting in the European maritime domain is crucial for enhancing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of maritime surveillance. CISE will be a concrete and tangible outcome of the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy.
Intergrated Maritime Surveillance Project Finalised
EUROPE - Nine northern EU Member States plus Norway and Russia have finalised a pilot project on Maritime Surveillance in the Northern Sea Basins (MARSUNO) initiated by the European Commission.
by Lucy Towers
