Abstract:

Operational and exploitation management of maritime security/safety systems comes as one of the key responsibilities of maritime administration of coastal states. In Poland, the scope of the above-mentioned responsibilities is implemented under the National Maritime Security/Safety System (NMSS) [Krajowy System Bezpieczeństwa Morskiego, KSBM], the beneficiary and operator of which is the Maritime Office in Gdynia. The implementation of the system has taken place with a considerable amount of EU funds and the concept of further exploitation and management of the system does not include any elements involving internalisation of the maintenance costs, indicating the state budget as a source to cover them. In the light of the growing operational costs, all the necessary modernisation, current depreciation of the fixed assets (the elements of the morphological structure of the system, including the maintenance of the optic fibre trunk line) and highly probable limitations to the obtaining of EU funds in the subsequent financial perspective (a change in the EU budget priorities in the perspective 2021-2027, Brexit), the question related to the internalisation of the NMSS [KSBM] costs should be seriously considered, along with the strategy of transferring them to the end-users of the system. The aim of the article is to present an attempt at a holistic analysis of the systemic premises related to the concept of a new safety surcharge which could provide external funding to the operation, development, modernisation and depreciation of the NMSS [KSBM] structures. In the article, the assumed working hypothesis is positively verified. The draft hypothesis states that there are identifiable premises for the internalisation of the NMSS [KSBM] costs in Poland. Using a social and economic analysis of the NMSS [KSBM] as background, three potential strategic options of calculation and implementation of the suggested safety surcharge have been identified. The security/safety surcharge procedure is of universal nature and it can be implemented under any system of maritime security/safety management in any country.