From 5 to 8 May 2026, a seminar of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation Conference (BSRBCC) on pleasure boats control mechanisms and security issues took place in Latvia and Lithuania. The seminar was organized by the Latvian State Border Guard in cooperation with partner institutions and international cooperation partners.
Representatives from the Latvian State Border Guard, the Latvian Customs, the State Security Service, and the Latvian Navy participated in the seminar.
During the event, experts and officials from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Germany, Denmark, and Poland, as well as representatives of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), exchanged experience regarding recreational pleasure boats control mechanisms, border surveillance challenges, and opportunities for interinstitutional cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.
On the first day of the event in Riga, discussions focused on the development of the regulatory framework in the field of recreational pleasure boats control, the experience of participating countries in implementing control mechanisms, customs control challenges, and cooperation with other law enforcement authorities. Particular attention was paid to small ports and yacht clubs, as well as issues related to the identification of stolen boats.
During the following days, seminar participants visited the State Border Guard’s Ventspils Board, the Maritime Operations Coordination Centre, the Ventspils Category II Border Crossing Point, as well as structural units of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service in Klaipėda. During the visits, participants gained practical insight into technical equipment, maritime situation monitoring capabilities, and current challenges in the field of recreational vessel control.
The seminar demonstrated the close cooperation among Baltic Sea region countries in strengthening border security, exchanging information, and developing joint solutions in order to more effectively prevent cross-border crime and enhance security in maritime border surveillance.