The committee, which is chaired by Minister Censu Galea, has as members the Malta Maritime Authority, the Commissioner of Police, the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, the Comptroller of Customs and the Department of Civil Protection.

The Maritime Security Committee will be discussing a new set of port security regulations, which will come into force following the necessary amendments to and approval of the proposed legal notice. The regulations apply to:

• passenger ships, including high-speed passenger craft, engaged on international voyages;

• cargo ships, including high-speed craft, of 50 gross tonnage or more engaged on international voyages;

• mobile offshore drilling units;

• any ship as described above engaged in domestic shipping to which the extent of these regulations would apply following a mandatory security risk assessment and

• port facilities within the internal and territorial waters of Malta that serve a ship (Grand Harbour and Freeport), or a mobile drilling unit.

Once the terms of reference of the regulations are approved, a designated authority must ensure that with respect to each port facility within the ports and territorial limits of Malta, port facility security assessments are carried out, reviewed, and approved and that respective plans are developed, implemented, maintained and approved. It must also specify the appropriate security level for port facilities within the internal and territorial limits of Malta and specify and communicate the measures that must be addressed in a port facility security plan.

The authority will also be approving any port facility security assessment carried out by a recognised security organisation, exercising control measures and publishing standards and codes of practice.

The Maritime Security Committee will, amongst other duties, be responsible for:

• advising the designated authority and competent authorities on the development, maintenance and promotion of a effective system of maritime security;

• developing the necessary strategies and policies to reach all international and national obligations and relevant objectives related to maritime security in general;

• developing contingency plans and procedures relevant to national maritime incidents and

• establishing policies and schedules for drills, exercises, and testing of all contingency plans and procedures, as well as all relevant coordination, training and support for such measures.

Expressing his satisfaction that all the stakeholders acting within the parameters of maritime security have gathered together to discuss common concerns and interests, Mr Galea emphasised that mutual cooperation is of the essence to ensure that the discussions proceed smoothly and the eventual publication of the new port security regulations.

“Through the system of sharing information, it will be possible that both within internal ports and territorial waters, all shipping movements, including vessel, crew and cargo information, are known.

“This will enable us to keep port security at high levels, guaranteeing the well-being of both the shipping industry and respective port operations,” remarked Minister Galea.