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Home > Environmental Response > NACGF > NACGF - Germany

North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum - Germany

In Germany several different authorities are responsible for the execution of the “Coast Guard Functions”. According to the NACGF subject matters these are for:

Search and Rescue German Maritime Search and Rescue Service
Environmental Response Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) which is moreover responsible for Fire Fighting, Medical Response, Emergency Towing, Salvage, in short: Maritime Emergency Response
Illegal Drug Trafficking Customs Administration
Illegal Migration Federal Police
Fisheries Enforcement Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food
Maritime Security

1.  Water Police of the coastal States (within the territorial waters)

2.  Federal Police (within the EEC)

3.  German Navy (outside the EEC)

Germany has established a network of the different authorities with a joint operational centre to co-ordinate operations at sea:

The Maritime Safety and Security Centre (MSSC), located in Cuxhaven.

The MSSC is composed of the:

  • Agency for Agriculture and Food,
  • Central Command for Maritime Emergencies,
  • Customs,
  • Federal Police,
  • Point of Contact,
  • Waterways Police Coordinating Centre,
  • Waterways and Shipping Administration.

The German Navy is incorporated into the work of the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (.i.e., the Navy conducts oil spill surveillance flights and transport operations). Furthermore, the Navy has established a liaison element in the MSSC.

Different tasks will be executed by the responsible bodies. The network is characterized by continuous communication and exchange of information.

German Coast Guard Network

 The operational core of the MSSC is the Joint Emergency Reporting and Assessment Centre which is operating 24 hours, 7 days and is responsible for the coordination of operational means.

The German PoC for the NACGF is the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Section B3:

Tel.: +49 18 681 1765
Fax: +49 18 681 5 1765
Email: b3@bmi.bund.de or andre.hesse@bmi.bund.de

Useful German Websites:

MSSC www.msz-cuxhaven.de
Agency for Agriculture and Food www.ble.de
Central Command for Maritime Emergencies www.havariekommando.de
Customs www.zoll.de
Federal Police www.bundespolizei.de
German Maritime SAR Service www.dgzrs.de
German Navy www.marine.de
Water Police of the 5 Coastal States www.polizei.bremen.de
www.polizei.hamburg.de
www.polizei.mvnet.de
www.polizei.niedersachsen.de
www.polizei.schleswig-holstein.de
Waterways and Shipping Administration www.wsd-nord.wsv.de
www.wsd-nordwest.de
Date Modified: 2011-12-13

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