The European Defence Agency and the European External Action Service signed an agreement on 25 March giving the EU’s diplomatic service access to the latest version of a maritime surveillance network known as MARSUR III.
The agreement replaces a 2021 arrangement and extends use of MARSUR to the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) — the EU body responsible for planning and overseeing EU military missions — as well as to operational headquarters running EU naval missions, the European Defence Agency announced on Thursday.
Broader access followed a test in early 2025 at the Rome headquarters of the EU naval mission EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, where the system was used in a live operational context.
Under the deal, the European External Action Service will be able to install and operate its own terminals connected to the MARSUR network, allowing staff to receive and share live maritime data such as ship tracking, alerts and reports with European navies and mission headquarters.
What MARSUR III does
MARSUR III is designed to enable the automated exchange of maritime surveillance information among the navies of 16 participating EU member states, the agency said.
The project sits within a wider voluntary cooperation framework launched in 2005 — known as the MARSUR community — which brings together 23 European nations focused on improving maritime awareness, the European Defence Agency added.
