Privacy Statement: Port Police Regulation

Last updated: 5 June 2025

Port of Antwerp-Bruges (hereinafter referred to as "POAB", "we" or "us") attaches great importance to the protection of personal data. Personal data is all the information about an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as the "data subject", "you" or "your"). We will always protect your personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation or "GDPR") including any applicable current or future national or international legislation implementing or replacing the GDPR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Applicable Privacy Legislation").

 

This notice on the processing of your personal data (hereinafter "Privacy Statement") was drawn up to clearly inform you about the processing of your personal data and your rights as a data subject. Please therefore read this document carefully and if you have any questions, please contact us using the contact details in Section 9 below.

1. Application of this statement

This privacy statement applies to the processing of personal data of the following categories of data subjects:

  • Persons in the port area
  • (Possible or suspected) infringers
  • Persons subject to civil liability for an infringement
  • Witnesses
  • Contact persons for works
  • Members of the neighbourhood information network
  • Other persons involved in the events

2. Data controller

2.1 The controller for this processing is Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

 

2.2 The Data Protection Officer of Port of Antwerp-Bruges can be contacted at dpo@portofantwerpbruges.com.

3. Overzicht van de verwerking (categorie, (persoons)gegevens, doeleinde, rechtsgrond)

PurposePersonal dataLegal basis

Maritime shipping: at the time of notification by the shipping agent

- Guiding shipping and ensuring the smooth and safe navigation of shipping traffic in the port

- Ensuring security throughout the port

- Scheduling and handling of freight

- Monitoring internal port infrastructure and facilities 

- Handling of damage claims

- During pre-notification: company, phone number, contact person

- During initial mooring request: crew, contact person, phone number of contact person

- On declaration of shift: name of shipping agent, name of ship

- On declaration of departure: name of shipping agent

- On declaration of crew members: name, ID, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, port of embarkation, port of disembarkation

- On declaration of stowaways: name, description, ID, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, port of embarkation

- On declaration of sick and dead persons: date of embarkation, illness, date of symptoms, status of illness (still sick, recovered, dead), status of sick person (evacuated, on board), treatment, remarks

- On declaration of CSO: name, work phone number, work email address

Performance of a task in the exercise of public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned (ensuring the accessibility of and the processing of traffic in the port area)
Organisation of the neighbourhood information networkContact details of members of the neighbourhood information network (name, email address, position)Performance of a task in the exercise of public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned

Inland navigation: at the time of notification by the bargemaster

- Scheduling and monitoring the use of locks 

- Ensuring the accessibility of and the processing of traffic in the port area

Contact details of inland navigation ship and bargemaster in case of lock navigationPerformance of the public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned (ensuring the accessibility of and the processing of traffic in the port area)
Safety, vessel traffic services and incident reporting

- Images from surveillance and other cameras in the port area

- Radio conversations via VHF communication

- Radar images and AIS

Performance of a task in the exercise of public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned (protecting the environment and the safety of the port area)

 

With respect to images: see Art. 18, §1(3) of the Decree of 3 May 2019 on the Harbour Master's Office

Management of applications within the Port for which the Harbour Master's Office is responsible- Data from waste collectors and waste processors, company data, contact data of customers, contact data of the Port Facility Security OfficerPerformance of a task in the exercise of public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned (regulation of free trade and industry in the area of port-related services)
Management of port captain register

- A copy of the official report

- Where applicable, the documents referring to the sending of a copy of the official report to the infringer or the suspected infringer

- The proposal for payment of a fine

- Where applicable, all available documents relating to the provision of a surety

- If the following information is known, the identity and the address of the place of residence or the registered office of the infringer or the suspected infringer

- Where applicable and if the following information is known, the identity and the address of the place of residence or the registered office of any person subject to civil liability for an infringement

- The qualification of the infringements established

Performance of a task in the exercise of public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned 

 

(enforcement of port police regulations and port traffic regulations in the port areas, see Art. 18/2, §2 of the Decree of 3 May 2019 on the Harbour Master's Office)

Management of permits for worksContact details of the company carrying out the works, possibly also a contact person at the site of the worksPerformance of a task in the exercise of public authority vested in the Harbour Master's Office concerned (protecting the safety of the port area)

Insofar as the processing of personal data constitutes a contractual or legal obligation and the data must be provided by the data subject, the data subject is required to provide the personal data. Should the data subject refuse to do so, POAB may deny access to the port.

4. Source of personal data

Port of Antwerp-Bruges processes personal data that it obtains from the data subject (inland navigation) or that it obtains through the shipping agent (maritime shipping).

5. Categories of recipients

In the context of this processing, the personal data will be transferred to third parties within the EU, namely to:

  • Personnel of the Harbour Master's Office (when there is an operational reason for this)
  • Personnel with specific tasks in the context of the processing of the data obtained with the cameras
  • Persons, services or entities that have access to the camera images under special legislation. Examples are bodies such as the (Maritime) Police, various Federal Government Services, crisis managers, the Local Committee for Maritime Security, etc., but also a number of nautical chain partners that require certain information, such as pilots.
  • In the context of their statutory duties, the courts' Public Prosecutions Departments and investigating judges have access to data relating to the identity, the address, the contact details, vessel and vehicle data and images processed by the Harbour Master's Office in the context of the exercise of their public authority.
  • Fire departments, civil protection and other security services can receive images in real time or afterwards in case of incidents or suspected danger to public safety or the environment.

 

Certain personal data will also be transferred to external companies that provide technical support for certain applications. POAB shall make the necessary arrangements with each third party to whom the personal data are passed on and, if necessary, conclude a processing agreement with these third parties. POAB selects only those processors that offer the necessary guarantees with regard to data processing and data protection. 

6. International transfers

6.1 Your personal data will not be transferred outside the European Economic Area.

 

6.1 If you would like more information, please contact us at the following email address: dpo@portofantwerpbruges.com.

7. Retention period

7.1 Port of Antwerp-Bruges shall retain the personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in Section 3. After that the personal data shall be deleted.

 

 

7.2 Images collected with fixed and mobile cameras will be stored for 12 months in accordance with Art. 18/1 of the Decree on the Harbour Master’s Office. When such images are stored to prove established infringements or injurious actions, or to identify the perpetrators, they may be stored for up to five years. When the images are part of a judicial procedure, they may be stored until there is no longer any ordinary or extraordinary remedy against the final decision in that judicial procedure.

 

 

7.3 Data processed by the Harbour Master's Office will be stored up to ten years after the end of the infringement. If no infringement is established, the data will be stored for five years after the end of the investigation.

 

 

7.4 For more information you can always contact dpo@portofantwerpbruges.com.

8. Your rights as a data subject

In accordance with the Applicable Privacy Legislation, you may exercise the following rights (if and to the extent applicable):

  • You can request access to and receive a copy of any personal data we have processed concerning you;
  • You can also request that your personal data that is incorrect or incomplete be corrected or completed;
  • You can request that your personal data be deleted;

 

Under certain conditions, the personnel of the Harbour Master's Office have the possibility of not applying these rights in the context of an investigation relating to a specific natural person.

 

 

You can exercise these rights by sending an email to the following email address: dpo@portofantwerpbruges.com. We will handle your request in accordance with Applicable Privacy Legislation and the Decree on the Harbour Master's Office.

 

 

9. Contact details

Port of Antwerp-Bruges is responsible for the collection and use of your personal data as described in this Privacy Statement. You can contact us at dpo@portofantwerpbruges.com.

10. Updates to this Privacy Statement

We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time to comply with business, legal or technical developments. When we update our Privacy Statement, we will take appropriate measures to inform you, depending on the significance of the changes and the legal requirements in this regard.