MaritimeNews

Frontex and European Fisheries Control Agency discuss cooperation on coast guard functions

Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri welcomed the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency – EFCA Susan Steele in the Warsaw HQ. They discussed the cooperation between Frontex and EFCA in the remit of #EU cooperation on coast guard functions, which aims to support the Member States in various sea basins.

Both agencies are conducting seaborne and airborne operations in EU sea basins and cooperating in the areas which are exposed to a number of risks such as illegal border crossing, marine pollution, illegal fishing, and migrant smuggling. In such complex situation capacity sharing is a must. Then for instance, vessels and aircrafts taking part in Frontex operational activities collect and share information with EFCA relevant to fisheries control. The Executive Directors of EFCA and Frontex agreed to further foster their cooperation in the coast guard functions framework and to support even more Member States in this regard.

The meeting ended with a visit to Frontex operational centres, which constantly monitor the situation at the external EU borders, especially over the sea, and which currently include crisis response teams coordinating the agency’s actions. It was also a good opportunity to meet #standingcorps officers supporting European cooperation on coast guard functions.