EU CRIMARIO

The EU’s Critical Maritime Routes project, EU CRIMARIO, has officially entered its third phase, reinforcing its support to countries across the Indo-Pacific while expanding its reach to Central and Latin America, including the Atlantic coast and potentially the Caribbean.

Since its launch in 2015, EU CRIMARIO has helped regional partners tackle maritime threats such as Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, and transnational organized crime. The project does this by fostering regional dialogue, enhancing interagency coordination, and improving mechanisms for information sharing.

In this new phase, CRIMARIO continues to deliver tailored training, operational exercises, and thematic workshops designed to build Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), strengthen governance, and improve operational readiness. These activities engage both civilian and military agencies, supporting more effective collaboration, harmonised procedures, and greater interoperability at national and regional levels.

At the heart of this effort is IORIS, a secure maritime coordination platform developed and administered by CRIMARIO. IORIS enables real-time communication and collaboration among stakeholders, helping to coordinate faster and more effective maritime responses. Its functionalities are continually evolving, with mission-specific enhancements planned for sectors such as ports, fisheries, counter-piracy, and Search and Rescue (SAR).

Since 2024, IORIS has supported critical operations including:

• 8 Search and Rescue missions, contributing to the rescue of over 80 people;
• Over 10 anti-trafficking operations, disrupting criminal activity valued at more than €250 million;
• Communication support for 200+ merchant vessels navigating the Red Sea during heightened maritime security threats.

As CRIMARIO expands geographically, its mission remains rooted in building trust-based, human partnerships—promoting regional stability, long-term cooperation, and shared responsibility at sea.

Follow us on Twitter