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Today in Warsaw, Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen hosted a meeting with the Directors of two other EU agencies: Harm Koster from the Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) and Willem de Ruiter from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The aim of the meeting was to discuss possible cooperation in the framework of the European Maritime Strategy. The Heads of the Agencies, which all deal with crucial aspects of the maritime domain, focused their talks on areas where inter-agency cooperation in support of the Maritime Strategy is desirable and practical. The European Maritime Strategy has been devised by the EU Commission in recognition of the fact that all matters related to European oceans and seas are interlinked and that all seas-related policies must be developed jointly. ‘There is no doubt that the implementation of the Strategy leaves plenty of space for cooperation’ said Ilkka Laitinen opening the meeting. ‘We need to identify concrete needs and possibilities, and strengthen our cooperation accordingly’ – he added. After their discussions, the three directors concluded that common ground for cooperation between their agencies is likely to lie mainly in the field of maritime surveillance and research. They agreed to continue to work at the technical level to find synergies and exchange experiences of use to all three organisations generally.