Port State Control is a crucial component of maritime safety and is a strong "second line of defence" against substandard shipping. EMSA provides the Member States and the European Commission with technical assistance for regulating, implementing, and enforcing port State control across the Union.

Every year, approximately 14.000 port state control inspections take place in EU ports and anchorages, underlining the importance of port state control for the effective application of relevant IMO and ILO instruments and the remarkable contribute of port state control officers in supporting and improving the EU’s robust maritime safety framework.