03-10-2019 09:00
Hearing on Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean

Hands of people drowning in the sea
search-and-rescue-hearing © Image used under licence from Shutterstock.com

On Thursday 3 October the LIBE Committee held a public hearing to take stock of the situation of Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean in view of latest developments and the legal framework.

The hearing took place against the backdrop of a tragic situation in the Mediterranean. 933 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2019. The event followed on Parliament's work on the issue and addressed different aspects of search and rescue activities in the Mediterranean as well as the relevant legal framework, with speakers representing NGOs, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the European Commission, Frontex and the Italian Guardia Costiera.