EMSA took part in the Multipurpose Maritime Exercise (MME) TOMIS 2026, hosted by the Romanian Coast Guard off Constanța on 14 August 2026. The exercise formed part of the wider Multipurpose Maritime Operation (MMO) Western Black Sea 2026, led by Frontex, with EMSA and EFCA supporting Romanian authorities throughout.

The exercise ran through a single connected scenario: an irregular migration case leading into a search and rescue operation with medical evacuation, the identification of an unmanned surface vessel, a marine pollution incident and response, and a fisheries inspection.

EMSA supported the Romanian coordination centre in Constanța with its Integrated Maritime Services (IMS), helping build a shared picture of the maritime situation as the scenario unfolded. IMS brought together vessel monitoring and tracking, vessel detection, satellite imagery, meteorological data, anomaly detection and coastal monitoring, layered onto national systems to strengthen situational awareness and support the coordination centre's decision-making. During the pollution response phase, participants also worked together on incident reporting through SafeSeaNet, the vessel traffic monitoring system operated by EMSA under the VTMIS Directive.

Beyond this technical support, EMSA worked closely with the Romanian authorities and Frontex throughout the exercise cycle, with representatives on the Joint Coordination Team for planning, implementation and evaluation. The Agency also joined the operational debriefing, led by the Romanian Coast Guard Exercise Coordinator with support from Frontex, and opened the exercise's conference day with a presentation on EMSA's role in supporting European cooperation on coast guard functions.

The Western Black Sea MMO is one of several running this year, alongside MMOs in the Baltic Sea, La Manche and the Southern North Sea, and the Adriatic. Each demonstrates EU agencies working in close cooperation to support national authorities in carrying out coast guard functions, pooling tools and expertise where they are needed most.