Baltic Sea region police chiefs strengthen cooperation in the event of maritime incidents

Police authorities from the EU Baltic Sea region convened in Helsinki on Wednesday 12 February 2025 to strengthen cooperation in the event of maritime incidents.

The meeting was hosted by the Finnish police and was attended by representatives from all EU Member States in the Baltic Sea region - Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Norway.

In recent years, a number of incidents and emergencies affecting maritime infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region have highlighted the importance of cooperation between authorities. Wednesday’s meeting discussed, among other things, the tools provided by international cooperation instruments, such as the Prüm Convention.

“It is of paramount importance that we have a clear, common understanding of how we can work together to respond to maritime incidents and ensure the security of the region. Today's meeting confirmed that there is a strong will to work together and that we have effective operational models at our disposal that we can further develop," said Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki as he wrapped up the meeting.

Minister of the Interior of Finland Mari Rantanen brought greetings to the meeting. She highlighted that in the changed security situation, authorities need to be able to act and that there must be smooth cross-border cooperation. 

During the meeting, participants shared their experiences and views on different types of incidents, such as damage to offshore infrastructure and potential hybrid threats. Discussions highlighted the need to improve information exchange, harmonise approaches and develop common practices for situations where law enforcement action is needed in maritime areas.

The participants pledged to continue to work closely together and to strengthen communication among themselves.