Cross-border information-sharing benefits development as well as maritime security, says a new report published at the end of an EU maritime surveillance project. Nine member states plus Norway and Russia were involved in the MARSUNO pilot project on integrated maritime surveillance in the Northern Sea basins, which lasted two years.

“I congratulate the member states for their sustained effort and that they have 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,” said Maria Damanaki, the commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries.

The nine member states that took part in MARSUNO were Sweden (project leader), Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. They worked in partnership with Norway and Russia was also invited to observe. MARSUNO was one of two dedicated pilot projects designed to feed into the Commission’s road map for the creation of a common information-sharing environment (CISE) ⁽¹⁾, and its objective was to support the creation of CISE by identifying practical solutions to help overcome legal, technical and administrative obstacles to the exchange of inter-sectoral and cross-border information between maritime authorities. In total, 24 public authorities were involved.

Further information is available at www.marsuno.eu and ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy /integrated_maritime_surveillance / index_en.htm