The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council to update the of the (EMSA).

The revision of EMSA’s mandate strengthens its support to the Commission and national authorities in key areas such as maritime safety, environmental protection, security, decarbonisation, and digitalisation.  

As part of this enhanced role, EMSA will provide critical assistance to the Commission and Member States in implementing the and extending the to maritime transport.

To achieve this, EMSA will employ tools to detect and deter , while also developing its systems and facilitate their reporting.  

Additionally, the Agency will reinforce its support for Member States in the implementation of their responsibilities in relation to their roles as port, coastal and flag States.  

Beyond these initiatives, EMSA will continue to provide essential support to the Commission and Member States in areas such as , , and , while simplifying reporting through innovative IT tools and delivering training and capacity-building programs. 

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, , welcomed the agreement, stating: "This represents a significant step forward in making maritime transport in Europe safer, more sustainable, and cleaner. It enhances EMSA’s role by aligning its responsibilities with today’s challenges. With a solid and future-proof framework, we are ensuring that EMSA can effectively support Member States and the Commission in meeting the evolving needs of the sector."

This update is the final part of the Maritime Safety package, a set of five legislative proposals modernising EU rules on maritime safety and ship pollution. The rest of the proposals were formally adopted in autumn 2024.

Following today’s political agreement, the European Parliament and the Council will now formally adopt the new Regulation, which will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.