Antilles also part of EU-data center shipping

In consultation with the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba as members of the Countries and Territories Overseas of the EU (LGO), the Netherlands has presented them for participation in the European LRIT-datacenter. LRIT is a worldwide identification- and localization system for shipping that is required since 2008.

Similar to the Council-resolution from 2007, the European LRIT-datacenter offers the possibility for LGO’s to participate in the European LRIT-datacenter. A number of LGO’s has already entered for participation.
The LRIT-system has a structure of several datacenters. Countries worldwide are required to report the ships under their flag in one datacenter via the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The European member-states have chosen to establish a European datacenter. The present Council-resolution is meant to regulate a number of outstanding cases regarding the European LRIT-datacenter, including the relation of the datacenter with the LGO’s of the EU, the relation with third countries, as well as the financing of the additional LRIT-reportages.

The Netherlands in general supports the exchange of LRIT-data within the European LRIT-datacenter, because this can also contribute to the improvement of the maritime security and safety in European waters, and also to the protection of the marine environment in European waters.

The datacenter and the global required LRIT-reportages of ships that sail under the flag of the EU-member state will be paid from the European budget. The costs are estimated to be a few million euros, which includes the initial investment and the annual operational costs.

(Source: National newspaper Amigoe)

1 December, 2008