Central ship database
Over its two decades of operation, EMSA has developed a wide range of maritime information systems that provide vital data to national authorities, industry stakeholders, and all those working in the maritime sector. Underpinning these systems is a set of shared reference data — covering ship identification and particulars, location and country codes, public organisation details, and standardised code lists.
To maximise the value of this information and eliminate duplication, EMSA maintains central databases that consolidate reference data and make it available across its maritime information services.
One of these is the Central Ship Database (CSD), which provides reference information on ship identification and characteristics to EMSA's own maritime services and their end-users. The CSD is designed to support Member State authorities and EU agencies in carrying out their responsibilities — including port State control, vessel traffic monitoring, fisheries control, border control, and law enforcement.
Because the CSD serves as a reference for Member State authorities and EU agencies, all information it holds must come from reliable and trusted sources, with full traceability maintained at all times.
The CSD holds information on commercial ships and fishing vessels, drawing from the following sources:
EU LRIT Common Data Centre — ship information for EU-flagged vessels equipped with LRIT devices
THETIS — ship data collected through port State control inspections
EU Fleet Register — registration information for EU fishing vessels
S&P Global — commercial ship data for vessels of 100 GT and above.
Data quality is ensured through a combination of automated checks and review by EMSA staff. The CSD is interfaced with SafeSeaNet and with EMSA's integrated maritime services, where it serves as the primary reference for ship identifiers and particulars.
The CSD holds the following categories of information:
Ship identification
Inmarsat call numbers
Ship types
Construction details
Status
Dimensions
Company information
Technical details
Banned ships
A detailed description of the information (data set) handled by the CSD is provided in the attached document.
Project funded by the European Union –
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
