(1)

‘Sharing, fusing and analysing information available in ship reporting systems and other information systems hosted by or accessible to those agencies, in accordance with their respective legal bases and without prejudice to the ownership of data by Member States;

(2)

Providing surveillance and communication services based on state-of-the-art technology, including space-based and ground infrastructure and sensors mounted on any kind of platform;

(3)

Building capacity by drawing up guidelines and recommendations and by establishing best practices as well as by providing training and exchange of staff;

(4)

Enhancing the exchange of information and cooperation on coast guard functions including by analysing operational challenges and emerging risks in the maritime domain;

(5)

Sharing capacity by planning and implementing multipurpose operations and by sharing assets and other capabilities, to the extent that these activities are coordinated by those agencies and are agreed to by the competent authorities of the Member States concerned.’

(a)

catalogues of services, products, training courses, best practice guidelines and manuals of all inter-agency activities supporting coast guard functions in Member States;

(b)

regional cooperation frameworks; and

(c)

‘country factsheets’ providing details on the structure and organisation of coast guard functions.

(a)

describe all the cross-sector services available through the agencies, and provide a guide for the Member States and agencies on how to access those services;

(b)

provide an overview of training opportunities and manuals developed by the agencies and how to access them;

(c)

provide an overview of existing cooperation mechanisms with a coast guard function which relate to Member States’ practical work;

(d)

provide Member States with factsheets listing the national authorities involved in coast guard functions, including their points of contact.

(a)

covers the five inter-agency cooperation areas;

(b)

is mainly limited to cross-sector subjects;

(c)

covers single-function subjects that may fall within the remit of at least two agencies (e.g. maritime surveillance);

(d)

covers EU Member States and EFTA States;

(e)

includes Member States’ input in the form of factsheets, including identifying existing regional and international cooperation mechanisms;

(f)

includes all entities (civil or military) with a responsibility for coast guard functions (e.g. a Member State’s navy with a coast guard function will be covered).

(a)

The Service Catalogue is focused on inter-agency services currently available to Member State stakeholders and which support the carrying out of coast guard responsibilities.

(b)

The Training Catalogue, which is an integral part of the agencies’ capacity-building activities, covers all training courses provided by the three agencies (in all maritime domains) that are currently available to Member State stakeholders. These training courses are arranged either by a single agency or jointly by two or three agencies.

(c)

The Best Practice Guidelines and Manuals Catalogue aims to cover all best practice guidelines and manuals available to stakeholders through the three agencies. These best practice guidelines and manuals are provided either by a single agency or jointly by two or three agencies. In addition, there are several long-established regional cooperation arrangements within and beyond Europe involving EU stakeholders. Within these arrangements, numerous best practice guidelines and manuals have been developed which are deemed relevant for the Handbook, and appropriate references have been included in the Manuals Catalogue.

(d)

The section on regional/international/bilateral/multilateral cooperation provides a representative sample of some of the coordination and cooperation mechanisms that exist in Europe and beyond, across the full spectrum of coast guard functions. A dedicated section (available through the dedicated online platform) captures a good number of these mechanisms, and each of these is linked to the individual country factsheets (see below). This allows each country to indicate if they participate in each of those mechanisms.

(e)

The country factsheets aim to identify which organisation is involved in which specific coast guard function in each country. The template for the factsheets was developed in consultation with the experts nominated by the agencies’ administrative board, and the templates were then populated by the individual countries.

(a)

maritime safety, including vessel traffic management;

(b)

ship casualty and maritime assistance service;

(c)

fisheries inspection and control;

(d)

maritime border control;

(e)

maritime environmental protection and response;

(f)

prevention and suppression of trafficking and smuggling and connected maritime law enforcement;

(g)

maritime search and rescue;

(h)

maritime monitoring and surveillance;

(i)

maritime customs activities;

(j)

maritime accident and disaster response;

(k)

maritime, ship and port security.

(a)

SLA between EFCA and EMSA, which was set up in 2012 and has been regularly renewed and broadened since then. It is currently automatically renewed on an annual basis and covers the provision of dedicated Integrated Maritime Services by EMSA to EFCA and mechanisms for EMSA contracted vessels to be used for EFCA activities. It also allows EFCA to use the EMSA Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) for fisheries monitoring and control activities and cooperation on pollution response.

(b)

SLA between EMSA and Frontex, which was set up in 2013 and has been regularly renewed and broadened since then. It currently runs for an indefinite period and covers the provision of dedicated maritime services by EMSA in support of EUROSUR for Frontex and a mechanism for Frontex to use the EMSA RPAS for border control activities.

(c)

SLA between EFCA and Frontex for the provision of services in support of EFCA activities, including aerial surveillance services and deployment of offshore patrol vessels (OPV). It is automatically renewed on an annual basis.

(d)

SLA between EFCA and Frontex for the provision of services for border surveillance within EUROSUR. It is automatically renewed on an annual basis and has been regularly updated and amended.

(a)

Terrestrial Automatic Identification System

The Terrestrial Automatic Identification System (T-AIS) is a maritime broadcast system, based on the transmission of very high frequency radio signals. Ships send reports with their ship identification, position and course, as well as information on their cargo. In Europe, the exchange of AIS messages is implemented through the SafeSeaNet system (SSN).

(b)

The Union Maritime Information and Exchange System (SafeSeaNet)

The Union Maritime Information and Exchange System (SSN) (5) is a cross-sector and cross-border information sharing and exchange system, providing integrated maritime services for the purpose of maritime safety, port and maritime security, marine environment protection and efficiency of maritime traffic and maritime transport as well as situational awareness at sea and maritime surveillance ; the system links maritime authorities from across Europe through a network of maritime data exchange. SSN includes vessel information from AIS, Mandatory Reporting Systems (MRS), data on port calls, dangerous and polluting goods, security, waste and cargo residues, and information on safety-related incidents.

EMSA is responsible for developing, operating and maintaining the central SSN system and interacts with users on an operational basis.

(c)

Satellite AIS

Satellites can also receive AIS position messages. The exchange of AIS information via satellite, through commercial providers, has increased the geographical range over which ships can be tracked; in such a case, the data is provided in less than an hour.

The satellite AIS data available through EMSA and shared with EFCA and Frontex has global coverage.

(d)

Long Range Identification and Tracking

Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) is a global ship identification and tracking system based on satellite communications. Under International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations, passenger ships, cargo ships (300 gross tonnage and above) and mobile offshore drilling units on international voyages send mandatory position reports once every 6 hours. EMSA operates the LRIT Cooperative Data Centre (CDC), through which users of ‘EU LRIT CDC Participating Countries’ can access the LRIT information on their flagged ships worldwide.

Member States receive the mandatory position reports for free, as associated costs are paid from the EU budget by EMSA. An arrangement is in place whereby Member States can choose to share data on their flagged ships with other Member States for free.

In addition, users of ‘EU LRIT CDC Participating Countries’ can receive, upon request but at cost, data regarding vessels of any flag bound to or sailing within 1 000 nautical miles of EU waters.

(e)

EMSA maritime central reference databases

EMSA manages numerous maritime central databases. Of particular current interest (also in relation to the European Maritime Single Window environment, EMSWe) are the Central Organisation Database (COD), Central Hazmat Database (CHD) and the Central Ship Database (CSD).

The COD stores information related to public organisations, such as local and national authorities involved with the SafeSeaNet Ecosystem. The initial purpose of the COD was to serve as the Shore-based Traffic Monitoring Infrastructure Database (STMID), which simplifies and facilitates the sharing of information on authorities and coastal stations which have been designated by Member States under Article 22 of Directive 2002/59/EC establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system.

The CSD can be used to cross-check ship identity data (IMO, MMSI, name, call sign and flag) stored within national ship databases or received from reporting parties. Ship particulars (e.g. tonnage, length, beam) are also available when relevant stakeholders provide these details. The CSD is hosted at EMSA and provides a common service for internal EMSA users and all Member States.

The main objective of the CHD is to enhance the quality of reporting on dangerous and polluting goods in the SafeSeaNet system. It includes a comprehensive list of all the dangerous and polluting goods that have to be notified under Directive 2002/59/EC establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system, as amended (6). It also provides access to the marine chemical information sheets (MAR-CIS) database of associated hazards and risks of dangerous and polluting products. The CHD is accessible to Member State authorities, industry and the general public.

(f)

Fisheries-specific data and information

As part of the Joint Deployment Plans (JDP) and under international obligations, EFCA receives a range of fisheries-related data and services from Member States’ competent authorities and international organisations.

The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is a satellite-based monitoring system, which at regular intervals provides data to the flag state fisheries authorities on the location, course and speed of fishing vessels. In the EU, the use of this system is mandatory for fishing vessels of 12 metres’ length overall or more (7).

The fishing vessels are fitted with an on-board, tamper-proof terminal. This terminal receives, via satellite, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) positional data and then transmits via satellite the VMS data, normally every 1 or 2 hours (maximum), to a Land Earth Station (LES) for onward transmission to the relevant fisheries monitoring centre. The system is designed to operate in a fully automatic way with no manual input required.

VMS is used to check the near real-time and historical positions of a fishing vessel to comply with catch records, to support the implementation of legislation on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and to assist coast guard functions. As part of the JDP, EFCA receives VMS data from all EU Member States involved in each JDP. Member States also send, to EFCA, VMS data they have received from third-country vessels authorised to fish in their waters.

As EFCA also coordinates JDPs in international waters, fisheries management organisations send data to the EFCA VMS from third-country fishing vessels active in these areas.

The Electronic Recording and Reporting System (ERS) is used for the automatic exchange of fishing activity data. This data is reported by fishing vessels to the national authorities of the flag state and is exchanged through the ERS using a standard format and protocol between the flag state and other parties (coastal state, control state, EFCA). The ERS is in use for EU fishing logbooks (including catches and landing declarations, etc.) and EFCA receives data for a pre-established list of vessels.

(a)

Copernicus Maritime Surveillance Service

(b)

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite images

SAR sensors use microwave frequencies to retrieve backscatter measurements from the detected surface below (sea or land). The images can be acquired regardless of weather conditions and cloud cover, and at any time of day or night.

SAR images of the ocean greatly depend on surface roughness caused by wind stress on the sea. By measuring wave heights, resulting images display features which stand out against the background; for example, vessels and other man-made structures appear as bright spots, while oil spills or areas with very low wind appear as dark shapes.

(c)

Optical satellite images

Optical images can provide a wealth of information in different spectral bands. They provide easier image interpretation and object identification due to the combination of Red-Green-Blue (RGB) frequencies and higher contrast, albeit with very high dependency on sunlight and weather conditions. Optical sensors cannot capture images during the night or in cloud cover conditions.

(d)

Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (8)

(e)

Oceanographic Satellite products

Some Sentinel satellites are dedicated to ocean monitoring with instruments such as altimeters, radiometers and optical instruments with dedicated spectral bands. These three types of sensors (onboard e.g. Sentinel3, Sentinel6) provide reference observation to derive any information on the ocean state and physics to deliver ocean forecasts : currents, waves, sea level, sea-ice, temperature, salinity. Combined with many sources of optical imagery they deliver as well observations of the biogeochemical content at sea (including for related forecasts).

(a)

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems services assist in maritime surveillance operations, supporting authorities involved in coast guard functions undertaken by Member States and EU agencies, such as:

Used as a complementary tool in the overall surveillance chain, RPAS have the ability to fly for a long time (more than 10 hours, depending on the system). This allows for the monitoring of large areas, and RPAS can stay ‘on site’ if needed both during the day and at night.

The current EMSA RPAS portfolio includes vertical-take-off-and-landing (VTOL) systems as well as fixed-wing RPAS, some of which use satellite communication to enable beyond radio line-of-sight operations. VTOL RPAS are particularly useful for fisheries control, ship emission monitoring (using ‘sniffers’ in a ship’s plume) and pollution response operations. Depending on their maximum payload mass, RPAS can carry an array of sensors, such as optical and/or infrared video cameras for day/night surveillance, infrared radiation (IR) and/or radar sensors for ship and oil slick detection.

The live video streams and data collected through RPAS are distributed via a web-based RPAS Data Centre, which allows access from work and/or at remote locations. The data is fused with the maritime picture that is already available through the integration of other maritime surveillance services.

(b)

Manned aircraft-based sources

The manned services allow for real-time monitoring, among other things, of the ‘pre-frontier’ areas of interest, whereas the surveillance data is made available to the requestors immediately during the operation.

A real-time video and information streams are provided by sensors installed on the aerial platform and transmitted directly to the monitoring room and partner coordination centres in the EU.

The primary aim is to support the national authorities of Member States and Schengen Associated Countries involved in coast guard functions, EU agencies and entities in surveillance and monitoring activities within a specific area of interest (AOI) focusing on the EU’s ‘pre-frontiers’.

Multipurpose aerial surveillance supports users engaged in:

Frontex and EFCA provide these services through a joint inter-institutional framework contract.

(a)

Meteorological-oceanographic data

A range of meteorological-oceanographic data is available and has been integrated in EMSA systems. The data sets are described below.

(b)

Additional ship-related and voyage information

Member States also exchange additional data (on ships, voyages, inspections and other related information) through the EMSA systems. This includes, among other things: inspection data and alerts related to international or EU regulations (THETIS, THETIS-EU); accident investigation reports (EMCIP); seafarers’ certification data (STCW-IS); marine equipment approvals (MarED); notifications of port arrival and departure, carriage of hazardous goods and incident reports (SafeSeaNet).

(a)

Automated Behaviour Monitoring (ABM) algorithms/Anomaly Detection Service

ABMs are algorithm-based tools that analyse ship positions to detect specific ship behaviour and alert the relevant operator. More than 20 algorithms have been developed to date, including algorithms for entering an area of interest, an encounter between two ships at sea, and a ship approaching shore. All ABMs can be selected and configured directly by the user; operators are automatically alerted in real time via email or through the SafeSeaNet Graphical User Interface (SEG) graphical user interface.

ABMs are used by an ever-growing number of EU Member States and bodies in various operational contexts, such as fisheries control, border control, security, safety of marine traffic, coastal protection, and environmental protection.

ABMs are available through the EMSA Integrated Maritime Services (IMS) to Member States and EFCA. The associated platform is the ‘SEG’. They are also provided to Frontex, on a system-to-system basis, through the Joint Operation Reporting Application (JORA). On the Frontex platform, they are known as the Anomaly Detection Service.

(b)

Earth Observation value-added products

Value-added products aid users by extracting particularly valuable information from the basic image products, allowing authorities to undertake higher-level analysis of objects, features or activities at sea more quickly and efficiently. The value-added products can be provided either as a layer on top of the original satellite image product or as a separate layer of information, for example a vector layer, or as a forecast or a climate reanalysis/prediction. The value-added products currently being offered to users include:

These added-value Earth Observation products are available through the EMSA IMS to Member States and EFCA. They can be free at the point of use for the Member States and EFCA, as funding can be covered under the Copernicus Maritime Surveillance Service with the help of the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (12). They can be visualised in the SEG and can also be provided to Frontex, on a system-to-system basis, through JORA. On the Frontex platform, they are known as the Vessel Detection Service (VDS) and the Activity Detection Service.

(c)

Earth Observation vessel correlation

Vessel detections derived from SAR and optical images are correlated against vessel data (e.g. AIS, LRIT and VMS data). This can provide an overview of which vessels are reporting in a given area, and which are not. This information is shown in two vector layers:

Users will only receive correlations of vessel reporting information for which they have been granted the relevant access rights.

(a)

EFCA: The EFCA IMS provides an integrated maritime awareness picture, specifically tailored for fisheries control, which supports Member States’ fisheries control activities. It is made and built upon via the SEG developed by EMSA.

The EFCA IMS has the ability to integrate and fuse, in real time, position data sets collected through channels such as VMS, terrestrial AIS and satellite AIS, as well as LRIT and VDS reports and satellite images delivered through the Copernicus Maritime Surveillance Service.

The application includes a wide variety of functionalities and reference data sets and can cater for specific fisheries control tasks. These tasks range from monitoring fishing activities in EU and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) waters to providing a trustworthy source of worldwide historical vessel movement information (not limited to fishing vessels) for IUU catch certificate verification (IUU Regulation (13)).

In addition, the integration of fisheries-specific information on maritime boundaries and fishing areas and, more importantly, on specific attributes of fishing vessels fishing activities – such as Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) vessel types, gear types, Community Fleet Register (CFR) external markings and fishing authorisation information – allows for advanced filter and search functionalities. The numerous functionalities include:

(b)

EMSA: The SEG is the main platform for the visualisation of SafeSeaNet and the Integrated Maritime Services, including Automated Behaviour Monitoring, for most user communities. The Integrated Maritime Services can be accessed through the SEG online graphical user interface, which is available on desktop, laptop and mobile devices (via the IMS app). These services are also available on system-to-system interfaces, which interfaces enable users to view integrated data on their own systems and receive alerts for specific pre-determined surveillance cases.

In addition, the main platform for managing Earth Observation products is the Earth Observation Data Centre. For RPAS operational data, the main platform is the RPAS Data Centre.

(c)

Frontex:

—

the aim of the course;

—

the objectives of the course; and

—

the target audience of the course.

(a)

national Points of Contact (POC) in ministries and at a strategic level, with relevant contact details, i.e. email and phone;

(b)

the ministries/department/agencies/organisations involved in the various coast guard functions, along with their address, 24/7 contact details (phone and email), and relevant website if applicable;

(c)

the factsheet also identifies the ‘lead’ organisation responsible for each of the coast guard functions, along with any other organisation with a role or responsibility related to these functions. It will also identify if and when this ‘lead’ role will change, depending on maritime area/jurisdiction (i.e. territorial seas, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and high seas);

(d)

a list of the various regional/international organisations in which the country is participating or involved.