PA Safe

The objective of Policy Area (PA) Safe is for the Baltic Sea region to become a leading region for maritime safety and security.

The countries of the Baltic Sea region are heavily dependent on shipping for imports and exports as well as for internal trade. Consequently, the Baltic Sea is one of the most heavily trafficked seas in the world with vessels growing in size and draught. Due to its strategic position, the Baltic Sea region is a natural route for oil transport, in particular from Russia. This is reflected in the considerable amount of oil transported through the Baltic Sea. Further, the waters of the Baltic Sea are not the easiest to navigate. At the same time, the sea is environmentally fragile due to its brackish semi-closed waters and densely populated shores. Accidents therefore can have huge impacts, and therefore there is a need to have well-functioning search and rescue services and oil spill response capacity in place to save human lives and reduce marine pollution.

It is in the interest of all countries bordering the Baltic Sea to reduce the risk of maritime accidents and marine pollution, including hazardous spills. The primary aim of the policy area is for the Baltic Sea region to become a leading region in maritime safety and security, thereby i.e. contributing to reducing the risk of maritime accidents in the Baltic in accordance with the below target. This aim is pursued through implementation of actions by means of a project-based policy dialogue. This dialogue helps to identify gaps in the cooperation, identify projectsand encourage project makers to fill those. PA Safe actions focus on many aspects which can improve maritime safety and security including resurveying of shipping routes, improving safety of navigation by means of e-navigation and new technology, emergency preparedness and winter navigation.

PA Safe is coordinated by Denmark and Finland.

Read more about the PA Safe at their website