Maritime Surveillance

 EUNAVFOR Atalanta

The maritime domain has a significant relevance for Europe’s security, both from a civilian as from a military perspective. Additionally, with regard to economics, the maritime domain supports 90% of the world’s trade and, therefore, is a crucial element for Europe’s continuing prosperity.

Already in November 2005 the Ministerial Steering Board tasked EDA in the Maritime Surveillance area to “establish facts on current assets and propose options for future collaborations, focusing in particular on the interface with European security and border control.” This has led to three major capability-focused work strands under the umbrella of MARSUR.

  • Maritime Surveillance Networking. This project aims at “developing a solution that fulfills the need for a coherent common recognised maritime picture for ESDP maritime mission and tasks whilst maximising inter pillar interoperability through the use of best practice. (ref Common Staff Target issued 01/07/2008).
  • Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System is a Category B Project with 7 contributing nations being lead by France aiming at identifying and subsequently procuring suitable ISTAR platforms for the use in a joint operational environment on the tactical level in order to close existing capability gaps.
  • Maritime Mine Counter Measures, also a Category B project with 13 contributing nations lead by France, aims at the replacement and/or improvement of existing national capabilities in this area starting by 2018.

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"EDA activities related to Maritime Surveillance for CSDP need to be linked with the Commission‟s activities on Maritime Safety and Security. The EDA “Wise Pens” team, which is producing a “think-piece” on Maritime Surveillance, will provide a strong basis document for the Agency‟s input into this coordinated effort. I am very much looking forward to concrete proposals submitted by these institutions to combine and join the respective efforts (...)." Catherine Ashton, Head of EDA, February 2010.

 
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