The Tripartite Working Arrangement (TWA)
of EFCA, EMSA and Frontex
20 April 2017 Rome, ECGFA NET II
Timeline
2009:
- EMSA-Frontex-EFCA
Cooperation
Arrangement
- EFCA Council Reg
768/2005, Maritime
Affairs included
2005:
Council Reg.
768/2005
2004:
Council Reg. establishing
2007/2004 EFCA
establishing
Frontex
July 2014:
- Com. Pres. Juncker
Pol. guidelines
- Towards a new
Policy on Migration
- A Stronger Global
Actor
2014:
- Commission Feasibility
Study on Coastguard
Functions
- Council adopts EU
Maritime Security
Strategy
Dec 2015:
- EP Adopts Pilot project
- Commission proposal for
amending EMSA and EFCA
Founding Reg. & New Frontex
Founding Reg.
Sept 2015:
- Com. Pres. Juncker
State of the Union
- Commission Non
Paper on Coastguard
Functions
2017-2020
European
Cooperation
on
Coastguard
functions
- 2016-2017:
Frontex-EMSA-EFCA
Pilot Project
- Sept 2016: amending
Founding Reg. of EFCA
and EMSA & New
Frontex Founding Reg.
approved and
published
- 17 March 2017:
TWA entered into
force
Legal basis for TWA
 In September 2016 the amending founding regulations of EMSA
and EFCA, and the creation of a new European Border and
Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), were adopted and published.
 They all include a similar article to give the 3 agencies a role for
establishing a European cooperation on coast guard functions*.
* Regulations (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council
1624/2016, 1625/2016 and 1626/2016.
What is TWA?
 An overarching agreement:
 serving as a basis for the cooperation between the
Agencies;
 providing the basis for additional implementing
agreements between the Agencies.
 TWA establishes:
 the objectives of the cooperation;
 a structure for the governance including the 3
Agencies;
 the need to agree each year on a strategic document
on the cooperation.
Benefits of TWA
 Effective and cost-efficient support from the 3 Agencies to
the activities of more than 300 civilian and military
authorities in the Member States responsible for carrying
out coastguard functions in a wide range of areas such as:
- maritime safety, security, search and rescue;
- border control;
- fisheries control;
- customs control;
- general law enforcement;
- environmental protection.
5 main areas of
interagency cooperation
Information
sharing, fusing and
analysing (VMS, VDS,
Capacity building
(training, briefings,
criteria for exchanges
of personnel)
Incidents report, RPAs…)
Exchange of
information on
operational
challenges and
emerging risks in
maritime domain
Capacity, assets
and capabilities
sharing in
multipurpose
operations
Surveillance and
communication
services
TWA
State of play of cooperation
The TWA between the
three agencies
entered into force on
17 March 2017
• First meeting of the steering Group between
the three agencies foreseen in June 2017
• Strategic document for SPD 2018 to be agreed
by three agencies and foreseen to be approved
in October 2017
The CG Pilot Project
is being implemented
until the end of June
2017. In that respect:
• The development of an Outline of
Guidelines/Handbook on interagency
cooperation is in its final stages
• Cooperation with MS through the Regional
Steering Groups
Cooperation with the
ECGFF
• ECGFA NET, CGFSQF
The CG Pilot Project
"Creation of a European coastguard function"
Agency
coordinating
EMSA
Task
Topics
Activities
TASK 1
Sharing
information
Surveillance
services
Fusing and analysing data
TASK 3
Capacity building
Guidelines, recommendations & EFCA
best practices
TASK 4
Capacity sharing
Multipurpose operations
TASK 2
Remotely
piloted
aircraft EMSA
systems
FRONTEX
Maritime Patrol Aircraft etc.
FRONTEX
EFCA
Closure event of CG Pilot Project
• Closing workshop of the pilot project which will be held at
EMSA’s premises in Lisbon on 2 June 2017
• Attended by the Members of the respective Governing Bodies
from the three Agencies, representatives from the European
Coast Guard Functions Forum (ECGFF), relevant Commission
services and representatives of the European Parliament.
• The purpose and goal of the workshop is to present the results
of the cooperation under the pilot project for the different tasks,
lessons learnt and recommendations for further cooperation.
THANK YOU!
[email protected]
http://www.efca.europa.eu