From the end of May until September, the Flemish and federal Coast Guard services will collaborate with the French Coast Guard in a Multipurpose Maritime Operation (MMO). The MMO is a large-scale maritime operation in the North Sea, coordinated by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), with support from the European Union. Member states work closely together on Coast Guard tasks such as maritime safety, environmental protection, and fisheries control. The operation has been launched near the naval base in Zeebrugge.
Zedelgem, 19 May 2025 – As part of the Special Emergency and Intervention Plan (BNIP), an information session was held concerning the “Paardenmarkt” munitions dump site, a pentagon-shaped zone located off the coast of Knokke-Heist. The meeting brought together experts, policymakers, and emergency services to discuss the risks, monitoring efforts, and potential measures related to this historic site.
The workshop on maritime traffic monitoring and surveillance services organized by EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency), the European Coast Guard Functions Forum (ECGFF) Chairman Italy, and the European Commission brought the following Belgian delegation to Lisbon: Jeroen Van Overloop and Stefanie Monsaert from DG Shipping, Tina Mertens and Yves Maekelberg from Maritime Services and Coast (MDK), Geert Devogel from the Fisheries Department (DZV), and Eefje Deweer from the Coast Guard Secretariat.
Wim De Schutter (DG Environnement - Service Environnement Marin), Herbert Van Santen (Police Maritime), Eefje Deweer (la Garde-Côtière) et Lara Verriest (DG Navigation) ont assisté à l'atelier ECGFF (Forum des Fonctions de Garde-Côtière Européenne) Frontex à Cagliari, intitulé "Évolution de la Garde-Côtière : IA et Systèmes Non Habités Améliorant les Opérations de SAR."
On 24 February, Ms Laura Szabo, Chair of the Federal Public Service (FPS) Home Affairs, and Ms Leen Depuydt, Acting Director-General of the National Crisis Center, paid a visit to the Coast Guard.
During the ECGFF - EFCA Workshop under the Italian presidency of the ECGFF for 2024/2025, titled "Advanced technologies and AI for the sea: innovations in fisheries control activity," in Palermo, Geert Devogel (Fisheries Department), Yves Maekelberg (MDK), and Eefje Deweer (Coast Guard Secretariat) were present for the Belgian Coast Guard.
On 4 July, the Marine Environment Service of the FPS Public Health demonstrated its new oil control system 'NOFI Current Buster 4', a fast and maneuverable system that can be operated by a single vessel. This pollution control tool was purchased with funds from the Environment Fund.