Maritime University of Szczecin
Akademia Morska w Szczecinie
2008, 13(85) pp. 86‐91 2008, 13(85) s. 86‐91
European Network for Maritime Surveillance. General outline
Europejska Sieć Obserwacji Morskich. Ogólna koncepcja
Józef Urbański, Wacław Morgaś, Mariusz Mięsikowski
Akademia Marynarki Wojennej, Instytut Nawigacji i Hydrografii Morskiej
81-103 Gdynia, ul. Śmidowicza 69, tel. 058 626 26 49 e-mail: j.urbanski@amw.gdynia.pl, w.morgas@amw.gdynia.pl, mmies@gdynia.mm.pl
Key words: European Network for Maritime Surveillance (ENMS), Global Monitoring of Environment and
Security (GMES), Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS)
Abstract
This paper presents the general outline of European Network for Maritime Surveillance (ENMS). Establish-ing such a network constitutes one of the main tasks of the Integrated Maritime Policy of the European Union, which is now being developed. The relations of that future network with the already existing Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS) of the European Union, as well as with the already developing Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) system and with the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) have also been shown.
Słowa kluczowe: Europejska Sieć Obserwacji Morskich (ENMS), Globalny Monitoring Środowiska
i Bezpieczeństwa (GMES), Globalny System Systemów Obserwacji Ziemi (GEOSS)
Abstrakt
W referacie przedstawiono ogólną koncepcję Europejskiej Sieci Obserwacji Morskich (ENMS). Utworzenie takiego systemu stanowi jedno z podstawowych zadań opracowywanej obecnie Zintegrowanej Polityki Mor-skiej Unii EuropejMor-skiej. Przedstawiono również relacje tworzonego systemu z istniejącym już Systemem Monitoringu Ruchu Statków i Informacji (VTMIS) Unii Europejskiej oraz z powstającym europejskim sys-temem Globalnego Monitoringu Środowiska i Bezpieczeństwa (GMES) oraz z Globalnym Syssys-temem Syste-mów Obserwacji Ziemi (GEOSS).
Introduction
European Union (EU), i.e. the Union of 27 member states, constitutes also the maritime power. The European Union borders with two oceans (Atlantic and Arctic Oceans) and with four seas (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea). The length of the EU’s coastline constitutes more than 70 000 km. Therefore, the sea area of EU is larger than its land area, i.e. it is more than 4 324 782 km2.
The maritime economy of the Member States of European Union is thriving. However, the develop-ment’s rate of EU’s maritime economy may be and should be increased. Therefore, in order to realize this objective the new Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union is being worked out now (2008).
One of the main tasks of this new Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union is estab-lishing of the European Network for Maritime Sur-veillance (ENMS) [1, 2]. This European Network for Maritime Surveillance will be, in fact, the trans-national European Surveillance System. Such a system will fulfill all the EU Member States’ demands concerning information necessary for maritime safety and maritime security needs.
The ENMS can, and should, be considered as a further stage of development of the existing Ves-sel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS) of the European Union. Transformation of the VTMIS into ENMS will consist mainly in the following:
– joining and incorporating the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) system,
as well as the space component of the Search and Rescue (SAR) System, i.e. the COSPAS-SARSAT system;
– joining and incorporating the above systems, i.e. to VTMIS, GMES and COSPAS-SARSAT sys-tems, the whole integrated monitoring system of all the maritime services, i.e. services whose main objective is ensuring the safety and secu-rity of life and property at sea and protection of the maritime environment from pollution by ships, as well as ensuring maritime security of the whole maritime infrastructure in the national maritime areas (ports and their facilities, drilling derricks, etc.).
Each global surveillance (monitoring) system must be assisted by other global satellite systems that generate the necessary operational conditions for the global monitoring systems. Such systems are:
– Global Satellite Navigation Systems (now the GPS, and later, the GALILEO system);
– Global Radiocommunication Systems, such as the INMARSAT system and others.
The following issues are discussed:
– general characteristics of the Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS), – Global Monitoring for Environment and
Secu-rity (GMES) system,
– Global Earth Monitoring System of Systems (GEMSS),
– integrated monitoring system of the maritime services of the European Union,
– tasks and the organizational structure of the European Network for the Maritime Surveil-lance (ENMS).
General characteristics of the Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS)
Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information Sys-tem (VTMIS) of the European Union is now in the final stage of its development (2008). This system has been being developed since 2002. The basis for the establishment of this system constitutes the proper Directive of the European Union (Directive 2002/59/EU of the Parliament and Council of EU on 27 June 2002). Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System is now more and more fre-quently called Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (also VTMIS).
The main objective of the VTMIS is increasing the level of safety in the maritime areas of the Member States of EU, especially the level of ma-rine environment protection from pollution by the
ships. However, the second objective of VTMIS, i.e. ensuring the proper level of maritime security, especially the antiterrorist security of the whole shipping industry in the whole maritime area of EU, has soon become the main objective of this system.
The immediate reason of establishing the VTMIS was the sea catastrophe of tanker ERICA off the Britany coast in December 1999. This rea-son became much more burning after the sea catas-trophe of tanker PRESTIGE, that sank near the Atlantic coast of Spain in November 2002. The development of the VTMIS was strongly stimulated and deeply influenced by the package of amend-ments to the International Convention on Life at Sea (SOLAS 74) regarding the antiterrorist secu-rity. These amendments were adopted by the meet-ing of the Member States of International Maritime Organization (IMO) that took place in December 2002 in London [3].
VTMIS is a kind of a “system of systems”, i.e. the system, whose components constitute the other systems. VTMIS system has been presented, almost in detail, in many publications, such as [4] and in many others. Therefore, in table 1, we restrain our-selves only to the quotation of the component sys-tems of VTMIS.
Table 1. The component systems constituting the Vessel Traf-fic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS)
Tabela 1. Systemy komponentów stanowiące System Kontroli i Informacji o Ruchu Statków (VTMIS)
No. Names of the component systems of VTMIS Note
1 VTS system, i.e. the Vessel Traffic Services system
2 AIS system, i.e. the Automatic Identification System 3 SRS, i.e. the Ship Reporting System
4 MAS system, i.e. the Maritime Assistance Services system, including Ports of refuge and other elements
5 Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) System
6 European and national Computerized Data Exchange Centres (SafeSeaNet system)
Figure 1 shows the main component systems of VTMIS, i.e. VTS, AIS, SRS and LRIT systems.
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES)
The project for establishing the Global Monitor-ing for Environment and Security (GMES) system is being realized by the European Space Agency (ESA) in close cooperation with the European Union, i.e. with the Council of the European Union
Port e-nav
LRIT Coverage Areas
SRS Coverage Areas VTS Coverage Area VTS Coverage Area AIS Coastal Radiostations (GMDSS, VHF, HF, MF) AIS Coastal station DGPS VTS components AIS Coverage Areas
INMARSAT
AIS
VTS components
Fig. 1. VTMIS: its main component systems (VTS, AIS, SRS, LRIT) and their assistance systems (DGPS, INMARSAT and coastal radiostations VHF, HF, MF)
Rys. 1. VTMIS: jego główne systemy komponentów (VTS, AIS, SRS, LRIT) i ich systemy pomocy (DGPS, INMARSAT i nad-morskie radiostacje VHF, HF, MF)
This close cooperation of both European institu-tions on this project has been initiated in 2003. Now the cooperation has found its expression in the European Space Policy that was proclaimed by joined declaration signed by the Common Council of the both institutions [5, 6, 7].
The European Space Policy regards three main domains of the common cooperation of the both institutions, i.e. European Union (EU) and Euro-pean Space Agency (ESA):
– Global Satellite Navigation System GALILEO and the European Space-Based Augmentation System EGNOS, i.e. European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System,
– Global Monitoring for Environment and Secu-rity (GMES) system.
– development of the new space technologies, especially Satellite Monitoring Systems, as the European contribution to the development of the Global Earth Monitoring System of Systems (GEOSS).
The subject of our further considerations will be exclusively the GMES system.
In the process of establishing and exploiting the GMES system, the EU and ESA cooperate closely with the European Organization for Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) [8].
Now (2008) the GMES system is being prepared for realization of three services:
– Emergence Response, – Land Monitoring, – Maritime Services.
The Maritime Services, also called Marine Core Services (MCS), should allow the following:
– better exploitation and management of ocean resources (oil, gas, fisheries, etc.)
– improvement of safety and efficiency of mari-time transport and other sea industries,
– anticipation and mitigation of the effects of en-vironmental hazards and pollution crisis,
– better understanding of the behaviour of oceanic ecosystems,
– enhancement of the prediction of climate sea-sonal changes,
– enhancement of the coastal zone management and planning (coastal flooding and erosion). The space segment of the GMES system will constitute the following kinds of satellites:
– very high, spectral and land resolutions satel-lites,
– geostationary meteorological satellites,
– satellites enabling the optical monitoring of the suspiciously behaving vessels and craft.
Figure 2 shows the space segment more pre-cisely, as well as the main component of GMES system and the Global Satellite Systems that create the operational environment of the GMES system. Such systems are:
– SATNAV systems, – SATCOM systems.
Global Earth Monitoring System of Systems
Group on Earth Observation (GEO) came into being in 2004. Its main objective was to prepare a 10-Years Programme concerning establishing the coordinated system for earth observation.
The GEO constists of the countries that are rep-resented by their institutions responsible for man-agement of environmental matters. However, the body of GEO also comprises numerous interna-tional organizations dealing with the Earth’s envi-ronmental issues. The Group on Earth Observation (GEO) is being managed by the European Union (EU), the United States, Japan and South Africa [9].
During the summit of the Group on Earth Ob-servation (GEO) that took place in Brussels on 16 February 2005, and in which participated 61 Mem-ber States of GEO and more than 40 international environmental organizations, a 10-Years Pro-gramme for establishing the Global Earth Observ-ing System of Systems (GEOSS) has been adopted. This Programme provided the harmonized opera-tion of about 100 000 measurement instruments and systems that are dislocated on land, on sea buoys, on ships, on seas and oceans’ bottom and in many other places as well as in space, like Earth Monitor-ing Satellites [10].
Sea Surface and Coastal Zone
Earth Atmosphere Suspiciously
Behaving Craft Global Satellite Systems Assisting GMES
SATNAV GPS, GALILEO, etc.
SATCOM INMARSAT, etc. Satellite Components of GMES
VHR Surveillance Satellites
Meteorological Satellites
Satellites of Visual Surveillance of Suspicious Behaviour
Fig. 2. The Main Components of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) System Rys. 2. Główne Elementy Systemu Globalnej Kontroli Środowiska i Bezpieczeństwa (GMES)
It is widely expected that GEOSS will improve nine societal benefit areas in that it will:
– improve weather-forecast;
– reduce loss of life and property due to disaster; – protect and monitor ocean resources;
– assess, predict, mitigate and adopt to climate variability and changes;
– support sustainable agriculture and combat land degradation;
– understand the effect of environmental factors on human health and well-being;
– develop the capacity to make ecological fore-casts;
– protect and monitor water resources; – monitor and manage energy resources.
Integrated monitoring system of maritime services of EU’s member states
The observation systems of the maritime ser-vices of EU member states constitute the very im-portant components of the European Network for Maritime Surveillance. However, also in this ques-tion much should be done and improved.
On 10.10.2007, the European Commission, in its Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Com-mittee and ComCom-mittee of the Regions, stated among others the following:
– Member States’ surveillance, activities concern-ing fisheries, the environment, the seas or immi-gration fall under the responsibility of several different enforcement agencies operating inde-pendently from each other. This often results in sub-optimal use of scarce resources;
– the EU’s Commission thus advocates the need for a higher degree of coordination of maritime surveillance through deeper cooperation within and among the Member States’ coastguard and other appropriate agencies [2].
The above statements allow a conclusion that the integrated monitoring system of all the law-enforcement maritime services in each Member State of EU as well as in the whole European Union should and will be established.
Tasks and the organizational structure of the European Network for Maritime Surveillance (ENMS)
In the above mentioned EU Commission’s Communication to European Parliament and to other EU institutions, it was stated that “maritime surveillance” is of the highest importance in ensur-ing the safe use of sea and in securensur-ing European maritime borders. Therefore, it is important for Europe to meet today’s challenges and threats relat-ing to safety of navigation, marine pollution, law
AIS
VTS
Radar Satellites of Global Monitoring for Environment and Security
GMES (cf. figure 2) Satellites of COSPAS-SARSAT system Satellites of LRIT system SafeSeaNet Centre Global Satellites Systems:
SATNAV and SATCOM
Integrated Monitoring System
of the EU’s Law-enforcement maritime services
Fig. 3. The Main Components of the European Network for Marine Surveillance (ENMS) Rys. 3. Główne Komponenty Europejskiej Sieci do Kontroli Morskiej (ENMS)
enforcement and overall security. Therefore the steps must be made towards a more interoperable surveillance system to bring together existing moni-toring and tracking systems used for maritime safety and security, protection of marine environ-ment, fisheries control, control of external borders and other law enforcement activities.
As was mentioned in the introductory part of this paper, the ENMS will constitute a further and also a new and modern stage of development of already existing Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS) of the European Un-ion.
Taking into consideration those facts and state-ments, it can be concluded that the future ENMS will comprise the following main component sys-tems (cf. also table 1):
– VTS systems, – AIS systems, – surveillance radars,
– Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system,
– Global Monitoring for Environment and Secu-rity (GMES) system (cf. fig. 1),
– COSPAS-SARSAT system, – surveillance aircraft and helicopters,
– integrated monitoring system of maritime law-enforcement services,
– European and national Computerized Data Ex-change Centres (SafeSeaNet system).
The main components of the developing ENMS are shown in fig. 3.
Conclusions
In this paper, the general outline of the European Network for Maritime Surveillance has been dis-cussed and presented. The general idea of the struc-
ture and tasks of this Network (system) were pre-sented in the two documents of the European Union issued in 2007. The first document presents the Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, while the second document presents the European Space Policy. The latter had been prepared by the European Union in close cooperation with the Eu-ropean Space Agency (ESA).
Although there will be many differences be-tween the existing Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS) of European Union and the future system, i.e. European Network for Maritime Surveillance, that should be deployed during the next 5–10 years, the most important difference between those systems will constitute the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) segment.
References
1. ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/ 2. eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ
3. Conference of Contracting Governments to the Interna-tional Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (1974). London, 9–13, 12, 2002.
4. URBAŃSKI J., MORGAŚ W., KOPACZ Z.: The European Ves-sel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS). P.J. Envir. Stud. 2007, 16, 3C, 118–126. 5. ec.europa.eu/enterprise/space/ 6. www.gmes.infor/ 7. www.esa.int/esa/ 8. www.eumetsat.int/Home/ 9. www.earthobservationsummit.gov/ 10. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Earth_Observing_System_of _Systems Recenzent: prof. dr Aleksander Walczak Akademia Morska w Szczecinie
