Combined safety, security centre opened
CUXHAVEN 16 January – The German government inaugurated a new central maritime safety and security centre, ‘GLZ See’, in Cuxhaven on the North Sea today. The new facility combines various agencies including the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, the control centres of the waterways police and Customs department and shipping administration under one umbrella. They will be “working together much more closely than in the past”, German state secretary Jörg Hennerkes emphasised at the inauguration ceremony this morning. The ‘GLZ See’ acts as a co-ordination centre with all participating agencies maintaining their official independence. Although critics have pointed out that the new entity cannot match the capabilities of an integrated coastguard, Hennerkes defended the concept as “a reliable platform for crisis response”.
Etiquetas: maritime safety