The Port 2 Port Security Platform is being launched by all Belgian seaports and inland ports, together with the National Drug Commission, to facilitate knowledge sharing and joint security initiatives.
This initiative will reinforce Belgium’s position as a pioneer in integrated port security and sharpen its focus on threats, including drug smuggling, cyber-attacks, and the misuse of drones.
It marks a European first in which every port and waterway within one country collaborates strategically and operationally. Federal Minister of Justice and North Sea Annelies Verlinden gave the official go-ahead for the platform.
Belgian ports, as hubs of international trade, are vulnerable to organised crime and cross-border threats, including drug smuggling, cyber-attacks and the misuse of drones.
With the Port 2 Port Security Platform, the approach will shift from separate initiatives to a coordinated strategy. The platform, an initiative of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, North Sea Port , CSD Limburg and the National Drugs Commission, will also bring together the ports of Liège, Brussels and Ostend, as well as the waterway managers in Antwerp and Flemish Brabant.
Sharing expertise and creating joint security measures will allow the partners to strengthen the resilience of the entire Belgian port system.
The cooperation builds on the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security) and the Belgian Maritime Security Act, which translates international standards into a strengthened legal framework against organised crime.
The recent revision of the law encourages an automated, structural approach and promotes the exchange of information between the authorities involved, with particular attention to protecting critical infrastructure, port facilities and personnel.
The Port 2 Port Security Platform is an operational collaboration model that combines practical experience with innovation. Going forward, ports will regularly exchange knowledge on inspections, access control, security screenings, drones and AI camera surveillance. They will also reinforce a shared security culture through joint training and awareness.
The platform will complement existing national and local ISPS authorities and enable cross-cutting cooperation between ports. Mutual trust is central to this: security is a collective responsibility that transcends competition.
Initiators Port of Antwerp-Bruges, North Sea Port and CSD Limburg, reported: “Security forms the foundation of all port activities. These ports bring years of experience and knowledge, which they are keen to share with others.
“We also believe that innovation only truly gains momentum when it is a collaborative effort. With the Port 2 Port Security Platform, we will combine our individual strengths into a collective force to stay one step ahead of criminals and continue to strengthen the security of our people, infrastructure and economy.”
Ine Van Wymersch, Drugs Commissioner, National Drugs Commission, said: “Sharing knowledge and expertise across all Belgian ports means working concretely on collective resilience against organised crime and disruptive activities.
“An important impact of this collaboration is its mitigation of spill-over effects. An initiative launched by both public and private partners immediately demonstrates the importance of this theme: ‘Security through resilience’ is at the top of the agenda for the entire port community.”
Earlier this summer, a major report by the World Customs Organization (WCO) revealed that over two-thirds of detected drug shipments involved individuals directly employed in the maritime cargo supply chain.
