Spain has taken over the presidency of the European Coastguard Functions Forum (ECGFF) of the European Union, a responsibility it will hold during 2027 through the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine (DGMM), which is under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. The handover was formalized in Catania, Sicily, during the plenary meeting of 2026, which is taking place this week with representatives of the European authorities linked to coastguard functions.
The General Director of the Merchant Marine and President of Maritime Rescue, Ana Núñez, received the presidency from the General Commander of the Port Captains Corps of Italy, Sergio Liardo. Spain had submitted its candidacy last February in Lisbon, during a meeting organized by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
Starting from this handover, the DGMM will be responsible for coordinating during 2027 the working groups and meetings of the forum, in which national authorities from 24 EU countries and associated with the Schengen area participate. The ECGFF operates as a space for cooperation among organizations that develop different competencies related to surveillance, security, and control of maritime activities.
In the case of Spain, these functions are distributed among different departments and organizations of the Administration. The forum includes the General Secretariat of Fisheries, the Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance (DAVA), the Civil Guard, the Navy, Maritime Rescue, and the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine itself.
During the meeting in Catania, Núñez identified the coordination between these entities as one of the key points of the future Spanish presidency. The head of the Merchant Marine reminded that the coastguard functions in Spain fall under the authority of different ministries, each with its own responsibilities and competencies, although linked by common objectives related to safety and activities at sea.
The Spanish organization of the forum will have among its areas of work new technologies, digitalization, cybersecurity, and the resilience of services related to coastguard functions. These topics will be part of the meetings planned for the upcoming year, with special attention to practical cooperation between the different participating authorities.
The European Coastguard Functions Forum is an autonomous, voluntary, non-binding, and independent organization, promoted by the European Commission through the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and the joint treatment of maritime issues of common interest related to the competencies of coastguard services.
Three European agencies with competencies directly related to maritime surveillance and security also participate in its functioning. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) collaborate in organizing the meetings and act as observers within the forum.
The presidency rotates each year among the participating countries and includes among its functions the coordination of the calendar, working groups, and main meetings. After the period led by Italy, Spain will organize in 2027 four meetings related to the different areas of action of the European agencies and the annual plenary.
The first meeting is scheduled for February 16 and 17 in Lisbon and will be linked to EMSA. Subsequently, on March 3 and 4, Gijón will host the meeting related to Frontex. The third meeting will take place on April 14 and 15 in Torremolinos, with participation from EFCA.
The calendar will conclude between October 4 and 6, 2027, with the holding of the plenary of the European Coastguard Functions Forum in Cádiz. This meeting will gather the participating national authorities and will serve to review the work carried out during the Spanish presidency.
The selection of several Spanish cities for the sessions will allow distributing the meetings according to the different areas that comprise the coastguard functions, from navigation safety and border control to fisheries surveillance and coordination among administrations.
The handover formalized in Catania thus opens the preparation period for a presidency in which the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine will assume the coordination of the participating authorities and the planned meetings for 2027, within a European framework involving civil, military, customs, fisheries, and maritime rescue organizations.
