The EC and enhancing ship and port facility security

With regard to these new measures, the European Union (EU) issued its own maritime security legislation under the official slogan of better implementation of standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). A single and harmonized application of security regulations was announced. These European initiatives suggested a European opposition against the international regulations, in particular within the sphere of maritime affairs. The implementation of the maritime security regulations by the EC bears a strong resemblance to the EU’s aspiration to become “une grande puissance maritime”. The purpose of this paper is to review the incorporation of the existing IMO maritime security measures into the law of the EU and examine the compliance of the new security regime with Community interests, needs and existing legislation. The paper will also attempt to identify possible collisions between new EU maritime security regulations and international law and analyze this development in the legislation of the EU in general.