Historical outline

– The Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety (EAFMS), ex-ports and Lighthouses Administration (PLA), is one of the first governmental facilities as it dates back to 1830 when an assembly was appointed to supervise the preparation to receive large vessels in the port of Alexandria.

– EAFMS Competencies As the Presidential Decree 399/2004

The authority carries out its competencies in the way that may help it to achieve the goals of its establishment, and especially to:

• Regulate and manage safety of maritime navigation in accordance to the International Conventions and regulations.
• Represent Egypt in International Maritime Organizations and those related to maritime safety.
• Technical cooperation with all the international ports and countries and to provide maritime assistance and services to all ships in the Egyptian territorial war.
• Exchange technical, professional expertise and researches with the International, Regional Authorities in the field of maritime safety to upgrade the standards of securing ships and their navigation.
• Plan, develop, install, monitor, upgrade and maintain Lighthouses and navigational aids all over national coasts and to approve related permissions and certifications.
• Monitor of maritime safety standards and the quality of executed services provided by the Authority and to apply the necessary procedures to guarantee the compliance of the requirements of safety and security and to verify its documents and certificates.
• Participate in Search and Rescue plans and fighting of maritime pollution.
• Monitor the technical standards of Egyptian vessels and maritime units locally built or those purchased from abroad to verify their compliance of International technical requirements, to issue their Registration Certificates and note the actions it suffers and to issue and revalidate their sea worthiness certificates and the navigational permissions required.
• Set tests and issue Certificates of Competency and Marine Passports and also Sea Service Certificates to seafarers.
• Monitor the standards of Egyptian and foreign vessels calling Egyptian ports and territorial waters and to issue related certificates and permissions in accordance to international standards and conventions.
• Set the professional requirements and provide work permissions for masters, officers, engineers, boilers, seafarers, fishers, divers and who else works at sea.
• Review the courses of specialized institutes and centers qualifying ships crew in accordance to international standards.
• Set plans; implement means of navigational traffic and to identify waterways and passages and to issue navigational reports and alerts to maintain safety in territorial waters.
• Operate, maintain, and make full use of radio and radar beacons to maintain the safety of navigation in territorial water.
• Provide training programs locally and abroad for the Authority’s personnel to develop their performance in accordance to the internationally applied criteria.
• Draft marine salvage and pollution laws, monitor their implementation and coordinate with the related agencies in accordance to the equivalent internationally applied laws.
• Apply the necessary procedures in cases of marine collision and other accidents or casualties like fire and sunk including investigating those accidents in cooperation with specialized agencies and to issue the necessary reports and to endorse maritime reports and (sea protests).
• Establish, with the consent of the Minister of Transport, sharing companies individually or with partners to carry out tasks in its competencies.

Services

• Issuing and renewing marine passports.
• Issuing and renewing marine work licenses on board Egyptian and foreign ships.
• Issuing special certificates to retired marine army officers.
• Registering Egyptian ships and marine units.
• Testing masters and navigation officers of merchant ships and senior marine engineers as well.
• Establishing and operating lighthouses and navigation alerts centers in both the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
• Provisioning Red Sea lighthouses and maintaining and providing them with manpower.