Danish Maritime Authority


The Danish Maritime Authority is a government agency of Denmark that regulates maritime affairs. Its headquarters are in Korsør.

History

The Danish Maritime Authority was in its current form established in 1988 through the merger of six existing maritime agencies and bodies alongside the establishment of the Danish International Ship Register. The Danish Maritime Authority's first agency executive was Thorkild Funder. He was succeeded by Jørgen Hammer Hansen in 1996. In 2000, a revision of the legislation included passenger ships in international service within the scope of the Danish International Ship Register. In 2001, all maritime educations were converted into self-owning institutions and a Tonnage tax was introduced. Andreas Nordseth took over the position as agency executive in 2007.
On 3 October 2011, the Pilot Supervision Quthority and most of Farvandsvæsnet was incorporated into the Danish Maritime Authority while responsibility for supervision of the maritime educations were ceded to the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Higher Education. In January 2014, the Danish Maritime Authority moved from Vermundsvej, Copenhagen, to Carl Jacobsens Gade in Valby. In October 2015, it was announced that the Danish Maritime Authority would relocate to Korsør effective 2017 as part of a government initiative to relocate a number of agencies from the capitol.

Responsibilities

Previously the authority's Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents investigated maritime accidents. A European Union directive asks countries to establish maritime investigation authorities that are independent of the maritime administration divisions. The bill L xx caused Denmark to establish a new maritime investigation agency. The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board now handles investigations of maritime accidents.