Prevention of and Fight Against Crime. With financial support from the European Union.
Program of European Commission - Directorate-General Home Affairs.

Port security seminar In Hungary, Budapest.

Last September 13th 2011 Aquapol has organized a seminar on port security in the Novotel Hotel in Budapest, Hungary. Almost every member state, which is participating in the Aquapol working group security & criminality has attended. The seminar has been organized in order to be informed about the latest level of port security in the member states. Five member states presented the level of port security in their countries of origin. These countries were Hungary, Romania, Germany, Italy and Spain. These countries volunteered to do so. The Chairman, Mr. Henk de Jong, Head of the Seaport Police of Rotterdam chaired this seminar, in which it became clear, that all the “major sea ports” have implemented measures under the so-called ISPS-code. Some differences became clear, because not every member state has the same form of Governmental Organization. However the ISPS-code is and will be leading in the measures taken in the big Sea Ports. On the other hand it proved to be impressive how well organized the measures in Inland Ports were organized. The Director of Security Matters of the Port of Budapest, Mr. Ivan Szende, presented this on invitation of Aquapol. The participants of this seminar participated lively in the discussions on these presentations.

The program is available on the Aquapol website and it shows, that during a so-called “Toolbox-session” a relatively new instrument for securing ports has been introduced. That is “community policing in ports”. The Rotterdam Sea Port representatives Mr. Herman Verweij and Mr. Jürgen Knuist, have given an insight on “community policing” and how this has been organized in a large sea port like Rotterdam. On the other hand Mr. Patrick Helsmoortel of Belgium has explained how the “community policing system” is handled as a tool for a very large recreation port like Nieuwpoort in Belgium. This “Toolbox”presentations were well received.

The participants have broken down in three workshops and they reported to the Chair. The reports of these workshops will be sent to the secretary of the working group, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it These remarks will be gathered in one report and will be dealt with in the next working group session. The chairman, Mr. Henk de Jong, has extended his thanks to the Hungarian host Mr. Scobay and Mr. Tauszik of the Hungarian Police and Mrs. Hilde van Mulken, secretary general of Aquapol for drafting the program and preparing all logistic elements of this seminar.

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