acf domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/ecg/ecgassociationdev/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121European Parliament — 2025-11-13
News from Brussels
On Thursday, MEPs confirmed the boosting of Agency’s powers, to provide EU countries with more assistance on maritime safety, security and situational awareness.
The updated European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) mandate was agreed by Council and Parliament negotiators in June 2025 and confirmed by Council in October 2025. It will equip the Agency to help EU countries improve their maritime situational awareness in the face of new geopolitical challenges, such as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, its shadow fleet, suspicious ship-to-ship transfers and the deactivation of shipborne automatic identification systems.
EMSA will focus on ensuring a high level of maritime safety and security, reducing ships’ greenhouse gas emissions and preventing ship-source pollution. The Agency will continue to help EU governments decarbonise the shipping sector and will report back on progress made every three years, the new mandate says.
Digitalisation and the reduction of the administrative burden for the maritime sector will be additional EMSA tasks. MEPs managed to secure an agreement that the Agency will provide training for EU countries, for instance on how to conduct safety inspections, and how to digitalise maritime registries.
Quote
Parliament’s rapporteur Sérgio Humberto (EPP, PT) said: “We live in times of great geopolitical instability. The seas, which were once only trade corridors, have become the scene of hybrid threats, environmental risks and challenges to the security of maritime routes. That is why Lisbon based European Maritime Safety Agency has a decisive role in strengthening surveillance and cooperation between Member States.
This regulation strengthens EMSA’s mandate, with three main objectives: ensuring a high and uniform level of maritime safety, supporting the digital and green transition and strengthening vigilance and emergency response capacity. Now, we set off for the next challenge, always in defence of the interests of Europe.”
Next steps
The updated EMSA mandate will enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Background
The review of European Maritime Safety Agency’s mandate was part of the maritime safety package presented by the Commission in June 2023 to modernise and reinforce EU maritime rules on safety and pollution prevention. Four out of the five maritime safety reinforcement proposals were adopted in April 2024.