The Danish Maritime Authority (Danish: Søfartsstyrelsen) is the agency of the Danish Government responsible for regulating and administrating Danish maritime affairs. The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) is part of the Ministry of Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs (Danish: Erhvervsministeriet). The Agency consists of the central authority and eight vision offices, including the office in Nuuk and the Centre for Maritime Health on Fanø. Its headquarters are in Korsør."About us ." Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved on 20 January 2017.
The Danish Maritime Authority manages the administration of Danish shipping, safety on board and sailing safety in Danish and Greenlandic waters, education of seafarers, ship registration, and maritime and business policy for the shipping industry both nationally and internationally.
History The Danish Maritime Authority was set up in 1988 through the merger of six existing maritime agencies and bodies (the State Ships Inspection, the Directorate for Seafarers, the Directorate for the Maritime Training Programme, the Register of Shipping, the Welfare Office, and the State Ice Service). Thorkild Funder was the first Director-General, succeeded by Jørgen Hammer Hansen in 1996. A government initiative in 2015 decided that the Agency would relocate to Korsør in 2017.
1988: Six Danish maritime institutions merge (the State Ships Inspection; the Directorate for Seafarers; the Directorate for the Maritime Training Programme; the Register of Shipping; the Welfare Office; and the State Ice Service) to become the Danish Maritime Authority. Thorkild Funder becomes the first Director-General. The Danish International Register of Shipping (DIS) was set up.
1996: Jørgen Hammer Hansen becomes the new Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority. The report: "A future for Danish shipping" was presented by the Funder Committee.
2000: "The Act on the Danish International Register of Shipping" was amended. It became possible to admit passenger ships engaged in foreign trade to the DIS.
2001: All maritime training programs became private foundations. The tonnage taxation scheme is introduced.
2003: "A shipping growth strategy" was published by the Danish Maritime Authority, and industry presents its recommendations for future recruiting and training programmes.
2006: The action plan "Denmark as Europe's leading shipping nation" is published.
2009: Andreas Nordseth succeeds Jørgen Hammer Hansen as Director General of the Agency.
2011: The Danish Maritime Authority takes over most of the abolished Danish Maritime Safety Administration's tasks, such as aids to navigation and lights, navigational information, and navigation warnings, and the Danish Pilotage Authority (Danish: Lodtilsynet). When the Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA) (Danish: Farvandsvæsnet) was abolished, most of its former responsibilities was incorporated into the Danish Maritime Authority. Responsibility for the supervision of the maritime educations were allocated to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Danish: Uddannelses- og Forskingsministeriet).
2012: The "Plan for Growth in Blue Denmark" was published.
2013: The Danish Maritime Authority was reallocated to a new location on Carl Jacobsens Vej in Valby.
2015: A government initiative reallocated several agencies away from Copenhagen. Danish Maritime Authority would relocate to Korsør effective 2017.
2017: The headquarters of the Danish Maritime Authority and fifty employees were relocated to temporary premises at Fjordvænget 30 in Korsør, as announced in 2015.
2019: The Danish Maritime Authority was fully set up in Korsør. The new headquarter of the Danish Maritime Authority is fully set up at three addresses in Korsør, with the main address at Caspar Brands Plads 9. The two other locations are at Fjordvænget 30 and Batterivej 7.
Structure The Danish Maritime Authority consists of approximately three hundred employees. Two hundred of those are found at its headquarters in Korsør in Western Sealand. The remaining employees are found throughout the country, and on board the inspectorship POUL LØWENØRN. The Danish Maritime Authority consists of twelve departments with separate areas of responsibility. +Department DanishResponsibilityThe Secretariat of AdministrationAdministrastionssekretariatet (ADM)Management of finances, staff, technical aids, and physical frameworks.The Executive Office Direktionssekretariatet (DIS)Matters relating to the executive management, the ministry and the ministry, and the portal for press and media. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Executive office. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/executive-office IT Operations and DevelopmentIT-Drift og Udvikling (IDU)The usage, maintenance, and development of the enterprise resource planning systems, in line with the digitization strategy. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). IT operations and development. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/it-operations-and-development-idu Climate and Green TransitionKlima og grøn omstilling (KOGO) The climate area and work on the green transition, national and international climate negotiations. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Climate and green transition. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/climate-and-green-transition Quality and Data ManagementKvalitets-og datastyringsenheden (KDE) The assistance of the executing management to ensure that operations are managed, administrated, and documented following relevant strategies, regulations, and policies. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Quality and data management. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/quality-and-data-management Management and Operations DevelopmentLedelses-og Forretningsudvikling (LOF)Combines various strategic staff functions and projects, each of which assists the executive management in management and operations developments. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Management and operations development. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/management-and-operations-development Blue Growth and Maritime Policy Maritime erhvervs-og vækstpolitik (MEV)Shipping policy, national and international maritime growth policy, and the development and implementation of the Maritime Spatial Plan (MSP). Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Blue Growth and maritime policy. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/blue-growth-and-maritime-policy Maritime Regulation and Legal AffairsMaritime regulering og jura (MRJ) Update and make laws and regulations easily understandable within the Agency's area of responsibility. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Maritime Regulation and Legal Affairs. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/maritime-regulation-and-legal-affairs Safety of Navigation, National WatersSikre farvande (SIFA) Safety in navigation, including buoyage, navigation aids, and the Danish pilotage system in Danish, Greenlandic, and Faroese waters, and use of technology. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Safety of navigation, national waters. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/safety-of-navigation-national-waters Ship Survey, Certification and Manning Sikre Skibe (SISK)Administration and enforcement of rules governing Danish shipbuilding, equipment, and operation, in line with levels of safety, health, and environmental protection. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Ship survey, certification, and Manning. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/ship-survey-certification-and-manning Danish Ship Registration Skibsregistrering (SRG)Correct registration of rights, registration of Danish and Greenlandic ships and vessels, and development of registration over time. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Danish ship register. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/danish-ship-register Seafarers, Certification and Social AffairsSøfarende of certifikater (SOC)The management and development of the social aspects maritime sector (enforcement of regulations and issuance of certificates for seafarers, fishers, pilots, and yacht masters) and seafarers´ conditions on Danish ships. Danish Maritime Authority. (n.d.). Seafarers, certification, and Social Affairs. Danish Maritime Authority. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://dma.dk/about-us/organisation/sections/seafarers-certification-and-social-affairs
Board and tribunals The Danish Maritime Authority can revise current legal regulations or create new ones within the maritime field. The following boards that represent both employer and employees' organisations have been set up by the Danish Maritime Authority.
Danish Ships Inspection Council Danish Shipping Tribunal (Danish Appeals Boards Authority) Danish Shipping Board Danish Maritime Law Committee Danish Pleasure Craft Safety Board The Liaison Committee for Maritime Research
Responsibilities The Danish Maritime Authority has performed tasks like ship survey and certification from the beginning. The responsibilities have broadened over the years, including helping the ministry and legislation. When the Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA) was abolished in 2011, the Danish Maritime Authority took over the management of navigation information and warnings. Today, the Danish Maritime Authority is managing shipping and its framework conditions, the ships, and their crew, and marking on land and in the waters around Denmark.
The Danish Maritime Authority is not the responsible agency for the enterprise policy under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries (Danish: Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri). Tasks like maritime surveillance, surveillance of civil shipping, sovereignty enforcement, policy authority, pollution control, environmental monitoring, and icebreaking, belongs to the Ministry of Defence (Danish: Forsvarsministeriet).
Areas of Responsibility
Danish ship's construction, equipment, and operation (comprehensive security, terrorist prevention, measures for navigation, staffing, working environment, and environmental protection) Port state control of foreign ships in Danish ports Ship registration Seafarer's employment, health, and maritime social conditions Shipping policy, maritime law, and business policy both nationally and internationally Tasks relating to marking at sea and on land (lighthouse and buoys) including ships and workshops Sailing information in the form of sailing analyses, warnings, GIS, and professional publications The state pilotage
The Danish Maritime Investigation Board (DMAIB) The Danish Maritime Authority's Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents was previously responsible for the investigation of maritime accidents. A European Union directive from 2005 asked the member states to set up maritime investigation authorities independent of the maritime administration divisions, causing Denmark to set up a new maritime investigation authority. The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) (Danish: Den Maritime Havarikommission) now manages investigations of maritime accidents. The DMAIB is an independent unit under the Ministry of Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs that investigates accidents related to shipping and fishing.
The Danish International Ship Register (DIS)