The future of the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) and the role of the CISE-ALERT project in the transition of CISE to an operational network were the main points discussed during the CISE workshop on 24 May. The workshop was organised by EMSA and the CISE- ALERT project consortium in the framework of the European Maritime Days held on 24-25 May in Brest, France.

The workshop addressed a set of important aspects concerning the role of CISE and the next steps in the network implementation. In the opening remarks, Ms Iglika Yakova, Deputy Head of Unit A3, with responsibility for sea-basin strategies, maritime regional cooperation and maritime security at DG MARE, European Commission, spoke about the role of CISE in the updated EU Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS). Ms Yakova referred to the Joint Communication on the update of the EUMSS and its Action Plan adopted on 10 March 2023 by the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy [LINK]. The Communication highlights the key role of CISE, which will facilitate real-time information sharing between different authorities responsible for coast guard functions, including the military, connecting relevant authorities within and across Member States (MS).

Further, Mr Gianluca Luraschi, project manager for CISE at EMSA presented the state of play of CISE implementation and underlined that the main elements necessary to start the operational use of CISE are already in place. These include the technical, administrative, and operational aspects that have been established during the Transitional Phase of CISE. Importantly, CISE is strongly supported by the MS, which is not only highlighted in various documents such as the Council conclusions on maritime security from June 2021, but also shown by the MS’ direct involvement in setting up the network. Mr Luraschi remarked that it is now time to use the infrastructure connecting different maritime surveillance authorities to enhance their capabilities in detecting, monitoring, analysing and responding to events at sea, such as for example the protection of critical infrastructures.

The workshop also focused on another crucial element that will help CISE shift towards its next operational phase, namely the CISE-ALERT project. Mr Miran Bordon, Head of development and EU project section at Ministry of Infrastructure, Slovenian Maritime Administration, presented the project’s goal which consist of using CISE to respond to real expectations for information sharing among different Maritime Operations Centres. To reach this goal, Mr Bordon pointed out the strong commitment from the authorities involved from 8 Member States, representing a large sectorial panel and geographical area in the EU. Furthermore, Ms Armelle Sommier, European Project Manager at Shom (French Hydrographic Service) emphasized how CISE-ALERT will help identify very concrete and specific operational needs from maritime authorities in terms of data access and sharing, and thus define tailor-made services to answer these needs. Ms Sommier also highlighted how one of the added-values brought by the project lies in the opportunity to build a strong community among the CISE network participants.

The CISE workshop at EMD 2023 was moderated by Mr Alexis Blum, EU Projects manager at the French Secrétariat General for the sea. More than 53 attendees actively participated in the discussion through an interactive quiz and Q&A session. The presentation from the workshop is available on the CISE website in the Meetings and workshops section.

We hope to see you next year, 2024, at the European Maritime Day in Svendborg!