EMSA

Founded in the aftermath of the Erika and Prestige disasters...

Founded in the aftermath of the Erika and Prestige disasters...

EMSA has also been given tasks in the field of pollution response, vessel traffic monitoring and in the long-range identification and tracking of ships. Employing over 200 staff at its offices in Lisbon, the Agency is a centre of excellence for maritime safety in Europe.

Pollution, Preparedness & Response

Roughy half of EMSA's budget is focused on pollution preparedness and response activities. In particular, the Agency offers a network of contracted oil pollution response vessels. Spread across the European coastline, these vessels can be called upon by Member States in case of a major oil spill at sea.

EMSA Maritime Information Systems

EMSA's SafeSeaNet system offers Member States information to track the 20 000 or so commercial ships that are in and around European waters at any given time. The LRIT system offers the possibility to track European ships worldwide.

Accident investigation

Shipping accidents happen. And when they do, accident investigation can help identify problems, and to learn lessons that may prevent accidents in future. EMSA manages the EU's EMCIP database for sharing marine accident investigation information, and is helping to improve standards in accident investigation across coastal states. Since 2007, EMSA has also published an annual Maritime Accident Review.

Protecting the marine environment

EMSA provides ships to help Europe better respond to major oil spills, satellite images to identify polluting vessels, and ensures ships comply with environmental rules. The Agency's marine environmental expertise covers areas such as ballast water management, port waste reception facilities and anti-fouling coatings for vessels.

Ensuring quality shipping

EMSA 'inspects the inspectors' of classification societies, assesses Port State Control systems, tracks problem ships, and safeguards the standards of on-board equipment.

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Newsletter March 2015

04.03.2015

Newsletter March 2015

In this issue: EMSA holds first training seminar on sulphur directive enforcement;STCW information system starts gathering data on certified seafarers; new STCW training package validated.

New limits for the sulphur content of marine fuels

02.03.2015

New limits for the sulphur content of marine fuels

Information for state authorities, ship owners, masters, fuel suppliers, agents or operators of ships on Directive 1999/32/EC

Work Programme 2015

16.02.2015

Work Programme 2015

Besides describing the well-known tasks of EMSA and the purpose of its activities in the fields of maritime safety, security and pollution prevention and response, the EMSA Work Programme also gives information about what is [...]

EMSA publishes 'Evaluation of risk from raking damages due to grounding'. A report on the 'Damage St…

13.02.2015

EMSA publishes 'Evaluation of risk from raking damages due to grounding'. A report on the 'Damage Stability Study' series undertaken by DNVGL

The issue of stability, and especially damage stability of passenger ships, has been frequently re-visited. This has been so, not due to the number of associated accidents, but due to the consequences that these accidents [...]

Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels: Drills and Exercises. Annual Report 2014

12.02.2015

Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels: Drills and Exercises. Annual Report 2014

In order to provide additional support to the Member States' pollution response mechanisms in a cost efficient way, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has built up, in European waters, a Network of contracted Stand-by [...]

Newsletter February 2015

09.02.2015

Newsletter February 2015

In this issue: Lisbon agency heads meet European Parliament president Martin Schulz; EMSA lends support to MAOC-N over anti-drug trafficking action; Marisa N is now supporting pollution response in the Adriatic Sea; New ESSF subgroup [...]

National Single Window Prototype - an electronic solution for simplifying administrative procedures

02.02.2015

National Single Window Prototype - an electronic solution for simplifying administrative procedures

The National Single Window (NSW) aims to simplify the administrative burden by providing a place where all maritime information is reported once by ship data providers, at either national or port level, and made available [...]

Newsletter January 2015

06.01.2015

Newsletter January 2015

In this issue: THETIS inspection database now covers sulphur directive; SafeSeaNet: reporting of accurate HAZMAT information; Latest overview of marine casualties and incidents now available; New contracts for stand-by oil spill response vessels.

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