Maritime security is fundamental to ensure the safe passage of people, goods, and the vessels that carry them, everywhere in the world. The interlocking and interconnected nature of international trade, underpinned by global supply chains, means that maritime security is a vital component of the international economy.

BCSEA II: security in focus

The security dimension in international maritime trade is mainly addressed by the “special measures to enhance maritime security” contained in Chapter XI-2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Code for the Security of Ships and of Port Facilities (ISPS) that were adopted at the end of 2002 and entered into force on 1 July 2004. Collectively, these legal instruments are aimed at reinforcing more targeted security initiatives by introducing an overarching and uniform risk assessment and mitigation mechanism on an international scale.

At the EU level, these IMO actions have been the basis for specific EU legislation, namely Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on enhancing ship and port facility security and Directive 2005/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2005 on enhancing port security. 

Under BCSEA II EMSA offers a structured maritime security assistance package to the beneficiary countries, incorporating first and foremost the assessment of existing measures and the analysis of past capacity building activities to determine further actions in consultation with relevant parties.