The SARex-2024, held on 2 October in the Adriatic Sea, featured the exchange of maritime information through the CISE network. The exercise involved four maritime authorities: the Slovenian Maritime Administration, the Italian Coast Guard, the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).

The exercise using the Common Information Sharing Environment – CISE – included the exchange of information for the protection of maritime critical infrastructure (i.e., underwater infrastructure), for the notification of possible cases of irregular migration, as well as for the investigation of vessels of interest in the area. 

The participating authorities tested the CISE capabilities from the technical and operational angles. These entailed among others the operation of the CISE nodes as well as the implementation of the four CISE operational services: Risk profile, Event Reporting, Area of Interest and Vessels of Interest.

The important aspect of this exercise was to showcase the building blocks CISE offers to maritime authorities for requesting and collecting information in a broader operational context that goes beyond a particular activity and authority’s sector and borders. At the same time, the exercise demonstrated the use of CISE in sync with the established practices and channels, as for example in SAR operations. 

The use of CISE was one of four operational activities conducted within the SARex 2024 which took place on 1-2 October in the North Adriatic Sea area. The exercise was organised in the scope of the EFCA-led Multipurpose Maritime Operation (MMO) taking place in the Adriatic Sea from September to October 2024. 

More information about the SARex 2024 can be found at the EMSA website: SARex 2024 - Adriatic Sea.