Belgian Government steps up security at ports and on North Sea

A new law on maritime security, which was given the green light on Friday by the Belgian Federal Council of Ministers, provides for biometric access checks in the ports and makes it possible to ban ships more easily. The new rules have been in the making for some time, but are all the more topical given the Russian war in Ukraine.

With 50,000 passages a year, the North Sea is busier than ever, so the Maritime Security Act regulating safety at sea was due for a revision. Minister of the North Sea Vincent Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld, Flemish Liberals) has been working on that update for a while and now has a draft bill ready which was given the go-ahead by the Federal government on Friday. "We must put safety and security first", he says.

The effort has to do with the security of Belgian ports. The bill makes it possible to use biometric data, such as fingerprints, for access control. The current badge system is sensitive to abuse. The law also stipulates that surveillance images have to be stored. There will also be a list of requirements for port facility closures. Failure to comply will result in warnings, fines or even imprisonment.

The second part of the bill creates a legal basis to deny ships access to Belgian ports. This already happens to Russian ships within the framework of the EU sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. For the time being, however, Belgium has to use a practical workaround by simply not providing ships a warehouse or docking area. In the future, it will be possible do deny access with a formal decision.

Port authorities will also be able to act more strictly when there are indications of illegal practices. Ships that do not comply with international regulations on security or traceability can be barred from ports, which means they will have to keep much more rigorous records, including which ports they have stopped at or which sea routes they have followed.

(KR)

© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM