The Port of Gdansk hosted the second meeting of the European Ports Alliance, an initiative launched a year ago in Brussels to strengthen cooperation between EU ports and combat cross-border threats. The event brought together 120 representatives of European ports, EU institutions, law enforcement agencies and companies offering security solutions. Current threats, including drug trafficking, cybercrime and smuggling, were discussed.
The Port of Gdansk is the only Polish port participating in the Alliance, which underlines its commitment to strengthening the protection of strategic infrastructure. According to Vice President of the Port Alan Aleksandrowicz, port security today is not only an operational but also a symbolic issue, as they are becoming increasingly digital and globally connected. Representatives of Gdansk also presented their own initiatives and participated in the discussion of the EU projects BorderSens, METEOR, UnderSec and SMAUG, aimed at developing modern technologies for detecting threats and protecting underwater infrastructure.
The conference featured presentations by Europol, EMCDDA and the Port of Rotterdam Police. The coalition of seven EU countries presented a strategic document on combating organised crime, and participants summed up the results of the first year of the Alliance’s work and outlined priorities for the future. The final session highlighted the importance of further strengthening the partnership between ports, security services and the private sector.