EMSA initiated the Blue Belt pilot project in May, 2011 in cooperation with EU Member States' customs authorities, the Commission services DG TAXUD and DG MOVE, the European Community of Shipowners' Association (ECSA) and the World Shipping Council (WSC). Its aim is to explore new ways to promote and facilitate short sea shipping in the EU by reducing the administrative burden for intra-community trade.
The project includes the voluntary participation of 250 vessels which are monitored via EMSA’s SafeSeaNet system. Customs authorities of EU Member States receive a timely notificiation report before the arrival of a blue ship to an EU port.
The ESA announcement of opportunity demonstration project proposes to include a satellite based AIS service to complement the Blue Belt project. Such a service would detect offshore vessels equipped with AIS tracking devices, impossible to detect by shore-based systems alone.
Details of the announcement of opportunity can be found on ESA’s Electronic Mail Invitation to Tendering System, EMITS under the reference AO 6822. More information about EMSA's Blue Belt project can be found under documentation in the column to the right.
Additional information can also be found here:
http://iap.esa.int/Tenders/Support-To-Blue-Belt-ITT
