They were warmly welcomed by the federal chair of the policy body, Piet Pieters, as well as the Flemish and federal Coast Guard secretaries, Ulrike Vanhessche and Eefje Deweer. During the visit, discussions focused on operational cooperation and recent developments within the Coast Guard.
Since 2005, the Coast Guard has been a collaborative partnership between 17 Flemish and federal government agencies and the Governor of West Flanders, playing a crucial role in maritime safety and law enforcement. The FPS Home Affairs is one of the 17 Coast Guard partners, represented by two entities: the National Crisis Center and the Directorate-General for Civil Security.
The Maritime Information Crossroads (MIK) and the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) work closely together to efficiently manage incidents at sea. In the upcoming legislative term, the Coast Guard structure will be provided with a new management and financing framework. Improved communication procedures and information-sharing mechanisms aim to further strengthen cooperation, with a new cooperation agreement currently in development.
Piet Pieters stated:
"Following the good news that the objective to update the cooperation agreement has been included in the federal coalition agreement, your interest in our operations today is an additional boost. We take pride in the fact that the FPS Home Affairs also incorporates the Belgian maritime areas into its interdepartmental security policy."
During the working visit, attention was also given to ongoing projects and working groups within the Coast Guard, such as the working group on wind farms and the project group MIRG (Maritime Incident and Response Group), the Coast Guard aircraft, and research into new communication methods for maritime incidents. These initiatives aim to enhance operational efficiency and ensure maritime safety.
To conclude the visit, MRCC Director Dries Boodts provided an overview of the centre’s operations. The visit underscored the importance of continuous cooperation and innovation in addressing challenges at sea.
