The 1^st Steering Committee meeting of the SAFEMED V project, launched in April this year, was held on 23 November in hybrid mode. The meeting was attended by representatives of all the project’s beneficiary countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia) as well as Türkiye as an observer.

The Med MoU Secretariat, REMPEC, and the UfM as key stakeholders of the project also took part along with relevant European Commission directorates DG NEAR, DG MOVE, DG ENV and DG MARE, providing information on their respective initiatives and goals for the forthcoming years.

EMSA presented the project’s action document as well as its indicative overall action plan that was prepared in consultation with DG NEAR based on the outcome of the coordination meetings held with all beneficiaries during the project’s inception phase. Alongside other novelties, special attention was given to the new structure of the project, comprising five thematic areas (sustainability, safety, security, simplification, surveillance).

The discussion that followed confirmed the heightened interest of the beneficiaries in specific actions like the provision of fellowships (Master’s and Ph.D.) for the staff of maritime administrations, the digitalisation of seafarers’ certificates, and the feasibility study on Maritime Single Window, amongst others.

The project’s 2022-2023 draft action plan was presented by EMSA and following the inclusion of further suggestions made by the beneficiaries during the meeting, it was endorsed by Committee.

The meeting concluded on the consensus that maintaining discussions in this format is paramount to ensuring a high level of cooperation and coordination between the project’s beneficiaries, EMSA, and other stakeholders and, by extension, achieving the project’s aims.