Visit to the Coast Guard and MRCC in Ostend

On February 24, Ms. Laura Szabo, Chairwoman of the FPS Interior, and Ms. Leen Depuydt, Acting Director-General of the National Crisis Center, visited the Coast Guard. They were warmly welcomed by the federal chairman of the policy body, Piet Pieters, and 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 collaboration 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 Interior is one of the 17 Coast Guard partners, represented at the table by two entities: the National Crisis Center and the General Directorate of Civil Security.

The Maritime Information Crossroads (MIK) and the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center (MRCC) work closely together to efficiently manage incidents at sea. In the coming legislative term, the Coast Guard structure will be equipped with a new management and financing framework. Enhanced communication procedures and information sharing should further strengthen cooperation, with efforts underway to establish a new cooperation agreement.

Piet Pieters stated:

"Following the good news that the objective to update the cooperation agreement has been included in the federal government agreement, your interest in our work today is an additional source of encouragement. We take pride in the fact that the FPS Interior also integrates Belgian maritime zones 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 tools for maritime incidents. These initiatives aim to improve operational efficiency and ensure maritime safety.

To conclude, the MRCC Director, Dries Boodts, provided an explanation of the center's operations. The visit highlighted the importance of continuous collaboration and innovation in addressing maritime challenges.