Yves Maekelberg, advisor engineer at the agency Maritime Services and Coast, was part of the panel and stresses the importance of system integration to give operators access to maritime traffic views. He argued that the maritime digital catalogue, jointly developed by agencies, is a crucial starting point for integration efforts. He mentioned that new services offered by EMSA, EFCA and others are being explored for effective use within a maritime multipurpose operation (MMO). The aim is to explore how these services can provide support for a range of Coast Guard operational tasks.
Nathalie Balcaen, administrator general at the agency for Maritime and Coastal Services, introduced the Olivia project at this workshop as an introduction to the panel discussion to be held during the Frontex workshop. The Olivia project has been running for several years in Belgium and is now being brought to the European level. To feed the discussion, a short survey will be distributed to collect figures on the percentages of women working in the maritime sector in ECGFF member states and agencies today. We are also curious to know about other similar projects working towards the goal of 'more women in the maritime sector'.
