UK – LRIT adjustment after BREXIT

The Maritime & Coastguard agency introduces a UK Long-range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) Collaboration Data Center

As part of contingency planning for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, preparations have been made in case access to EU systems is lost. One such system is the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) Long-range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) Collaborative Data Centre (CDC), which all UK flagged ships transmit LRIT data to at present. Since January 24, 2019, the UK’s own LRIT data centre went live, and all UK flagged ships are transmitting their LRIT data to the UK data centre rather than to the EMSA CDC. There will be no impact on UK ships as the LRIT equipment will be remotely tuned to the new Data Centre without need for intervention from the Master.

Contingency planning for EU Exit In March 2017, the UK triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, stating its intention to withdraw from the EU by the end of March 2019. The Department for Transport (DfT) has commissioned the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to put contingency plans in place for a ‘no deal’ scenario in which the UK potentially ceases to be able to access systems provided by EMSA. In this scenario, the UK would continue to comply with its international obligations, but would potentially lose access to EMSA’s information systems, including the EMSA LRIT CDC, which facilitates the MCA’s ability to operate as an effective search and rescue service and maritime regulator, and which also enables the UK to discharge its international obligations regarding LRIT provision. In order to mitigate these risks, the MCA has put in place measures to develop the UK’s own LRIT data centre, so UK flagged vessels and those from overseas territories can continue to transmit their LRIT identity and position data. The UK’s LRIT data centre went live on January 24, 2019 so that all UK ships, and subsequently those from overseas territories, can transit to the new data centre in time for exit day at the end of March.

 Impact on ships 

The transition process will involve remotely changing the ship’s LRIT equipment to transmit their identity and position data to a different data centre. This will be done by the MCA’s chosen contractor and will require no input from the ship’s master