Frontex, together with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), developed a Practical Handbook to enhance cooperation between coast guard functions across the EU. The handbook aims at further improving cross-border and cross-sector collaboration between civilian and military authorities carrying out coast guard functions, e.g.:

• Search and rescue;
• Border control;
• Fisheries control;
• Customs activities;
• Law enforcement;
• Maritime safety;
• Environmental protection.

The handbook presents a compilation of services and information provided by the three agencies, including cooperation frameworks, best practice guidelines, and country factsheets with details on the structure and organisation of coast guard functions in EU countries and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states. In addition, an online platform will be launched in autumn 2021, containing the practical information featured in the handbook. The EU Member States, the EFTA States, and the European Commission also contributed their support to the handbook.