The competitiveness of European maritime transport can be facilitated through a more efficient use of resources and better use of electronic information.

For reasons of maximising efficiency and avoiding duplication of efforts, there is a need to build on existing national and Union platforms, technical solutions and on standardisation, reaping also the benefits of investments already made.

The Union Maritime Information and Exchange system, SafeSeaNet, established in accordance with Directive 2002/59/EC, apart from enhancing maritime safety, port and maritime security, environmental protection and pollution preparedness, allows for the exchange, in accordance with Union legislation, of additional information aiming at facilitating efficient maritime traffic and maritime transport

In order to enable cost savings, avoid creating multiple Steering Groups and take advantage of the experience of the HLSG, its management principles and its tasks should be adjusted to cover additional areas covered by the Directive.

Directive 2002/59/EC requires Member States and the Commission to cooperate to develop and update the Union Maritime Information and Exchange system, on the basis of the experience gained in operating the system, its potential and its functions, with a view to enhancing it, taking into account developments in information and communication technologies.

Experiences have been gained and technical advancements have been made, in particular in developing an interoperable data exchange system which can combine information from SafeSeaNet with information from the other Union monitoring and tracking systems (CleanSeaNet, the European Union Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships European Data Centre (EU LRIT Data Centre) and Thetis), and also from external systems (e.g. satellite AIS), further enabling integrated maritime services. Several satellite AIS initiatives have been launched, including by Member States, confirming the operational benefits from having access to SAT-AIS data.

The EMSA hosted systems and applications are able to provide Member States' authorities and Union bodies, comprehensive information on, for example, ship positions, dangerous cargoes, pollution, etc., as well as provide support services in areas such as coast guards, anti-piracy and, statistics, in accordance with the access rights attributed in compliance with the Interface and Functionalities Control Document (IFCD) established and maintained under Article 22a and Annex III of the Directive.

Annex III to Directive 2002/59/EC should therefore be adapted to reflect these technical advancements made in light of experience gained with SafeSeaNet.

The developments reflected in this Directive can also play a central role in the development of a Common Information and Sharing Environment (CISE) for the maritime domain, which is a voluntary collaborative process in the European Union seeking to further enhance and promote relevant information sharing between authorities involved in maritime surveillance.

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Safe Seas and the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (COSS),