ISPRA and the Coast Guard: Memorandum of Understanding Signed to Protect Our Sea
It was signed in recent days in Rome, at the headquarters of the General Command of the Port Authorities, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and the General Command of the Port Authorities Corps – Coast Guard, aimed at further strengthening institutional cooperation in the protection of the marine and coastal environment. The agreement consolidates a path of collaboration already developed in the past, expanding its areas of intervention and introducing new operational tools.
ISPRA is, in fact, the national technical and scientific body supporting environmental policies and a point of reference for the activities of the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), which carries out analyses, monitoring, and inspections to safeguard marine and coastal ecosystems.
The Coast Guard, on the other hand, is daily engaged in surveillance, the protection of the marine environment, the control of maritime traffic, fisheries enforcement, and the management of maritime emergencies, sharing the common objective of protecting a natural heritage that belongs to everyone.
The Protocol aims to improve the effectiveness of monitoring, control, research, and prevention activities by enhancing the technical and scientific quality of joint actions and enabling a more efficient use of public resources. This will be achieved through the strengthening of activities to observe the state of the marine environment—from water quality to biodiversity, from marine litter to the presence of alien species—alongside specific verification activities on anthropogenic pressures such as waste, discharges, dredging, mariculture, and fishing.
A significant chapter concerns cooperation in marine environmental emergencies, staff training, and the sharing of information from monitoring networks and systems. Joint activities are also planned in Marine Protected Areas, as well as collaborations within the framework of PNRR interventions for ecological restoration, environmental education initiatives, and actions supporting the ecological transition of ports.
The activities envisaged by the Protocol will be implemented through specific operational agreements, which will define work programs, the use of assets and personnel, responsibilities, timelines, and information management procedures. The establishment of a joint Coordination Committee composed of representatives of both Administrations is also provided for; it will be tasked with monitoring the implementation of the agreement and drafting an annual report on the status of activities.
“Protecting the marine environment is a mission that requires expertise, an operational presence, and strong integration among institutions,” said Admiral Sergio Liardo, Commandant General of the Coast Guard. “This Protocol renews and strengthens an already well-established collaboration with ISPRA, with the aim of ensuring increasingly effective protection of our seas and coastlines. It is a commitment we undertake every day with responsibility and with a vision focused on future generations.”
“The signing of this Protocol represents an important step in strengthening the path of collaboration between ISPRA and the Port Authorities Corps – Coast Guard,” said Prefect Stefano Laporta, President of ISPRA. “The protection of the marine and coastal environment requires integrated expertise, timely intervention capabilities, and a shared vision of the challenges ahead. Through this agreement, we further reinforce the synergy between scientific research, environmental monitoring, and operational activities in the field, bringing together data, expertise, and technologies that will allow us to more effectively prevent and counter the pressures affecting our seas. We are confident that this collaboration will contribute not only to improving the quality of marine ecosystems, but also to promoting a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility. ISPRA will continue to place its scientific heritage at the service of the country, with the common goal of protecting a natural heritage that belongs to everyone.”
The Protocol has a duration of three years, renewable by agreement between the Parties, and does not entail any direct financial obligations.
