The first operational meeting at the General Command of the Coast Guard took place in Rome
Today in Rome, at the General Command of the Corps of Port Authorities – Coast Guard, the first technical-operational meeting of national coordination aimed at initiating the procedures for the exchange of information on merchant maritime traffic between State administrations, with the objective of increasing the safety of navigation, the protection of the marine environment, and the efficiency of port operations, in particular implementation of the ministerial decree of 11 March on the establishment of a Community monitoring and information system, ship traffic.
The General Command of the Coast Guard, identified as national competent authority for the national monitoring and information on maritime traffic, known as VTMIS (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System), which, among other things, for the European Maritime Single Window (EMSWe) platform environment), has started a process of re-engineering of its IT infrastructure. This path, in addition to ensuring alignment with European standards – as also envisaged by EU Regulation /1239 – aims to simplify formalities for the arrival and departure of ships, improving the interaction between authorities and operators in the maritime-port sector.
At the center of today’s meeting, which was attended by representatives of administrations and bodies in the maritime sector (Ministry of the Interior – Border Police, Ministry of Defence, Guardia di Finanza, Customs Agency and Monopolies, ISTAT, Federagenti), the definition of the modalities with which the VTMIS system will be made interoperable with the IT platforms of other public administrations involved in defence, security, and rescue activities at sea. In fact, the new decree provides that the exchange of naval information between entities is carried out in a fully digital and secure manner, through cooperation agreements between the interested parties. The adoption of common standards, shared protocols, and traceable systems will allow for more efficient and integrated management of ship traffic data, in line with European directives and in full compliance with the regulations on IT security and personal data protection.
“With today’s meeting – commented the Commander General of the Port Authority Corps, Admiral Inspector Nicola Carlone – a new strategic phase of the digitalisation of the Italian maritime-port system begins, which sees the Coast Guard on the front line in ensuring that our country is at the forefront of regulatory and operational developments active at international level. As the national authority responsible for monitoring maritime traffic, the Coast Guard is at the center of a technological innovation process that aims not only to strengthen the security of the sea and the protection of the marine environment, but also to optimize the provision of increasingly simple, digital, and efficient services for citizens, businesses in the sector, and the entire public administration”.
