MARSEC EU 24: Maritime exercise tests EU-wide cooperation at sea

For the first time, three EU agencies, as well as the navies and coastguards of seven Member States, have taken part in the MARSEC EU 24 maritime security exercise. The exercise addressed maritime security incidents, promoted coordination, implemented operational procedures, and identified lessons for future activities. It also included a successful test of the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), which will be operational from 1 July.

The three EU agencies involved were the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and Frontex, whilst the seven Member States were Belgium, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Malta and the Netherlands. The six-day exercise occurred off the Cartagena naval base in Murcia, Spain. The aim was to test the EU's response capacity to two major maritime threats: an attack on critical undersea infrastructure and illegal fishing in EU waters. 

Implementing the EU Maritime Security Strategy

The exercise occurred in the context of implementing the revised EU Maritime Security Strategy​ and its Action Plan. This strategy calls for the EU to launch maritime security exercises, including annual naval exercises of Member States' navies and coast guards, involving navies and maritime security authorities from as many Member States as possible, to boost readiness, encourage interoperability and tackle the evolving threats to maritime security. The MARSEC EU 24 exercise answered this call, providing for the first time a platform for joint civil-military and inter-agency exercises among EU actors involved in action at sea.

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