1.    Background

The European maritime single window environment (EMSWe) Regulation (1) is built on the existing network of maritime national single windows (MNSWs) (2) and establishes a common, interoperable environment for ships to report information to shore during a port call.

The Regulation empowers the Commission to define a standardised data set covering all reporting obligations and to develop and maintain common interfaces and services for the MNSWs. It will apply from 15 August 2025.

Article 19 of the EMSWe Regulation requires the Commission to adopt a multi-annual implementation plan (MIP) and revise it on a yearly basis following appropriate consultations with national experts.

The purpose of the plan is to facilitate timely implementation of the Regulation and provide quality control mechanisms and procedures for deploying, maintaining and updating the common harmonised elements of the EMSWe. The first version of this document was developed and adopted in 2021 (3).

2.    IT architecture of EMSWe

The EMSWe is a decentralised environment based on a network of maritime national single windows. Each of which provides a harmonised reporting interface module (RIM) for system-to-system communication and a graphical user interface (GUI) for user-to-system communication.

The environment is complemented by common services such as EMSWe user registry and access management system (URAM), common databases and a common addressing service (CAS).

High-level EMSWe architecture around one maritime national single window

The figure above shows the high-level architecture of EMSWe from the perspective of a Member State, including the MNSW’s interactions with declarants, data service providers and the systems of Member State authorities.

The components are listed below:

Element	Description	Articles
1	Maritime national single window (MNSW)	Article 2(3)
2	Graphical user interface (GUI)	Articles 2(9), 6(4)
3	Harmonised reporting interface module (RIM)	Article 2(4), 6(1)
4	EMSWe user registry and access management system (URAM)	Article 12(1), (2), (3)
5	Common addressing service (CAS)	Article 2(10)
6	EMSWe ship database (ESD)	Article 14
7	Common location database (CLD)	Article 15
8	Common hazmat database (CHD)	Article 16
9	Common ship sanitation database (SSD)	Article 17
10	SafeSeaNet (national SSN and central SSN system)	Article 8(4)

3.    Adoption of secondary legislation

In line with the delegated powers conferred by the EMSWe Regulation, the Commission adopted Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/205  (4), which:

—	amends the Annex to the EMSWe Regulation, which lists reporting obligations under EU, international and national legislation;

—	supplements the EMSWe Regulation by establishing the EMSWe data set, which includes more than 1 100 data elements required under the reporting obligations.

Other delegated acts are expected in 2024 (before the date of application of the EMSWe Regulation) when the Annex and/or the data set will be amended.

The EMSWe Regulation confers on the Commission implementing powers to lay down specifications for harmonised elements of the MNSWs and the common services under the EMSWe. To this end, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/204  (5) containing the first set of specifications and rules for the harmonised aspects of the MNSWs and for three common databases under the EMSWe. Other implementing acts  (6) will be adopted in 2023 and 2024, completing the set of specifications.

To complement the specifications for the reporting interface module, the Commission, in close collaboration with the Member States and with the assistance of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), is preparing a message implementation guide (MIG) describing the message exchanges between the declarants and the MNSWs through the reporting interface module. This also includes the response messages for authorities’ acknowledgements and decisions after the formalities have been submitted. The first stable version of the MIG is expected to be issued by the end of 2023.

Article 8 of the EMSWe Regulation also confers on the Commission implementing powers to lay down a list of relevant information to be reused and made available for a subsequent port call. Once this data has been defined, SafeSeaNet, its data exchange mechanisms and interfaces, including the necessary security measures, may be upgraded, along with the relevant documentation (7).

4.    Stakeholder consultation strategy

The Commission is required to carry out appropriate consultation during its preparatory work, in accordance with the principles in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making. When preparing secondary legislation, the Commission should ensure that the Member State experts and the business community are consulted in a transparent manner and well in advance.

To prepare the secondary legislation and ensure coherent and transparent IT development, the Commission will consult the Member States experts (the national coordinators of EMSWe and their invited experts). Considering that the EMSWe Regulation covers several customs entry-exit formalities, the Commission will consult, where necessary, the customs expert groups, such as the Electronic Customs Coordination Group and/or the Customs Business Group (as managed by DG TAXUD). Joint meetings with the customs expert groups may be organised for this purpose.

To ensure continued interconnection and interoperability between EMSWe and the EU’s maritime information and exchange system (SafeSeaNet), the Commission will collaborate with the High-Level Steering Group for the Governance of the Maritime Digital System and Services (HLSG).

The Commission will also ensure that industry associations participate in the expert groups as observers.

5.    Timetable for developing and testing common components and services

Reporting interface module (RIM)

In August 2022, the Commission, in close cooperation with the Member States, released a first version of the reporting interface module as a minimum viable product (for initial testing purposes), with core functionality for system-to-system communication.

New versions of the RIM will be released, to include other functionalities for full compliance with the legal act containing RIM specifications that is yet to be adopted in 2023. All documentation required for integration into their MNSW will be distributed to the Member States, including the RIM versioning strategy for the various versions of the RIM.

Once a stable version of the RIM is released, Member States are expected to integrate it into their MNSW. To this end, the Commission and the Member States are expected to carry out technical tests to verify the functioning of the RIM. Member States shall carry out tests to connect industry systems with the RIM to ensure that they can fulfil the reporting obligations through the RIM in their respective MNSW.

Member States shall carry out tests and necessary integration also with other authorities concerned and with Commission systems, to exchange the related information. The Commission will provide the national coordinators with adequate support during the setup and configuration of the RIM and will carry out the necessary conformance and acceptance tests with each Member State. The estimated duration of the technical integration and testing of the RIM into the MNSWs is 18 months, starting in Q1 2024, including testing with the declarants.

EMSWe user registry and access management system (URAM)

The Commission is creating and making available a common user registry and access management system. This will facilitate the authentication of senders (declarants and data service providers) who connect to the reporting interface module. Regarding the cross-border authentication of declarants wishing to access the MNSWs through their graphical user interfaces, the Commission is considering using the existing eIDAS framework (8).

The specifications for the user registry and access management system will be adopted together with the specifications for the RIM. The URAM services compliant with these specifications are planned to be developed and ready alongside a stable version of the RIM (2023). This will enable a complete testing cycle and integration regarding connections and interactions between the RIM of the MNSW and the URAM services.

Common addressing service (CAS)

The specifications for the CAS required by Article 13(2) of the EMSWe Regulation are scheduled to be adopted by Q3 2024. Development of the specifications with the expert groups is planned to start in 2023. Development of this service is expected to start after the RIM has been developed and to be concluded in advance of the Regulation’s application date. Once the specifications have been adopted, the Commission will set out the timing for integrating the CAS into the overall reporting environment.

Databases

The specifications for the EMSWe Ship Database, the Common Location Database and the Common Hazmat database were adopted in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/204. The Commission, in close collaboration with EMSA, is working on the development of the EMSWe Ship Database, the Common Location Database and the Common Hazmat Database. The technical implementation of these databases will encompass the work on the reference dataset and system interface guides (SIG) for each database, followed by technical development and integration with Member States. It is expected that these three databases will be developed and ready for testing for Member States in the second half of 2024.

As per the Ship Sanitation Database, the implementation will be planned after the definition of specifications, as required by Article 17(3) of the EMSWe Regulation at a later stage of the implementation.

Detailed timetable

Common components and services		Baseline
		2023			2024				2025
		Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2
Reporting Interface Module (RIM)
RIM release with sender validation
MIG formality messages
MIG response messages
RIM release with syntax validation (9)
Member State integration and testing (10)
URAM
User guides for URAM services
URAM S2S validation service
Central registry of senders
Transition and integration with Member States for RIM7
Common Addressing Service (CAS)
Development of specifications
Development and testing (integration with RIM)
EMSWe Ship Database (ESD)
Reference dataset and SIG
Central database development
Integration with Member State systems
	Commissioning tests
Common Location Database (CLD)
Reference dataset and SIG
Central database development
Integration with Member State systems
	Commissioning tests
Common Hazmat Database (CHD)
Reference dataset and SIG
Central database development
Integration with Member State systems
	Commissioning tests
Ship Sanitation Database (SSD) (11)
Development of specifications

6.    Application of the Regulation

From the date of application of the Regulation, all information necessary for fulfilling the reporting obligations will be provided by means of and in compliance with the EMSWe dataset. Each Member State will provide a helpdesk for users of the MNSW in the first 12 months (from 15 August 2025) and an online support website for its MNSW with a structure as defined in Annex III to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/204.

In total, national implementation including testing is expected to last at least 18 months. With the scheduled release of the RIM versions and URAM services by the end of 2023, Member States and industry can start their part of the implementation and appropriate testing. This transition period, including conformance testing with other authorities and industry, is expected to continue during 2024 and into 2025 before central services become operational.

Nevertheless, the Commission, in close collaboration with the Member States, will continue to monitor the status of the implementation and the progress made. If relevant, at the beginning of 2024 it will re-evaluate the feasibility of the plan and present proposals to address possible delays.

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(1)  Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment and repealing Directive 2010/65/EU (OJ L 198, 25.7.2019, p. 64).

(2)  Article 2(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1239.

(3)  Communication from the Commission 2021/C 299/03.

(4)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/205 of 7 November 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the establishment of the European Maritime Single Window environment data set and amending its Annex (OJ L 33, 3.2.2023, p. 24).

(5)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/204 of 28 October 2022 laying down technical specifications, standards and procedures for the European Maritime Single Window environment pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 33, 3.2.2023, p. 1).

(6)  Provisions stemming from Article 6(1), 8(5), 12(4), 13(2), 17(3) of EMSWe Regulation.

(7)  Amendments to the Interface and Functionalities Control Document (IFCD) and SafeSeaNet XML messaging reference guide will be approved by the HLSG in line with the tasks in point 2.2 in Annex III to Directive 2002/59/EC.

(8)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/910/oj

(9)  RIM developed in full compliance with the RIM specifications.

(10)  URAM central services will be available only in acceptance testing during the integration with Member States’ RIM.

(11)  Next steps will be decided at a later stage.