Maritime security
Maritime security is the Coastguard’s third main task, next to service provision and enforcement. It is about protecting Dutch waters, ports, vessels and (vital) installations on and in the Dutch section of the North Sea (EEZ). The Coastguard’s main task in this regard is to furnish information.
Maritime security is about protection against intended disruptions and threats. Maritime safety is about protection against and response to unintentional events such as collisions.
Security measures
This topic is attracting increasing attention internationally, but also within the Netherlands. Security measures on land and in aviation are seen as ‘normal’, but shipping has also been subject to various security measures since 2004. However, these are not always fully implemented, and not everyone is familiar with them.
Separate main task
The Coastguard performs maritime security tasks on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of Defence. These tasks have expanded over the years. In 2018, the Coastguard Council decided that maritime security should become a separate main task for the Coastguard.
Tasks
Protection of merchant vessels
Crisis communication and provision of information
FOCAL point ReCAAP
Pre-arrival analysis
