Funds green-lighted for Aegean surveillance system
The European Internal Security Fund has green-lighted the disbursement of 50 million euros to Greece for the development of an integrated maritime surveillance system in the Aegean.
The new system will allow the Greek coast guard to monitor activity in the Aegean Sea on a 24-hour basis, including smuggling and other crimes, refugee and migrant flows, and Turkish violations of the country's maritime borders.
The system foresees 35 monitoring stations that will be located at military bases, as well as two mobile units, and aims at improving monitoring of Greece's and the European Union's eastern marine border, bringing the country in line with its commitments under the Schengen Agreement.
Slated for completion in 2022, the new system will also provide valuable information to the European border agency Frontex, while allowing real-time monitoring of activity in the Aegean from Brussels.
