Intro

Introduction

In accordance with the article 149 of the Spanish Constitution, the Government is responsible for lighting the coast and maritime signals. Since the approval of the act 27/1992, amended by the act 62/1997, of Spanish ports and of the Merchant Navy, these responsibilities are carried out through the state-owned Puertos del Estado and Spanish port authorities under the dependence and supervision of Ministry for Transport and Public Works.
The organization Puertos del Estado has direct responsibility for the Spanish planning, coordination and control system of maritime signals as well as for promotion of the technical training, research and development about these matters. The coordination in the context of maritime signals is carried out through Comisión de Faros (Lighthouse Commission).
Thus, Puertos del Estado is allocated a series of functions such as the planning, standardization, inspection and operation control of the lighthouse authorities. In addition, this organization is also responsible for those services that are not direct responsibility of the port authorities as well as for representing the Government Administration in port and maritime buoying matters and in international institutions and commissions on behalf of the Ministry for Tansport and Public Works, without affecting the competences of the Ministry of External Affairs.
On the other hand, the collaboration between the Lighthouse Authorities and other countries has always existed. However, each country used to apply its own buoying system; there even existed thirty different rules and legislations that contradict each other. After the 2nd World War, the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities- Asociación Internacional de Señalización Marítima- (AISM/IALA) was created in order to analyse this problem and provide a solution. As a result, a legislation was created and gathered in the Maritime Buoying System- Sistema de Balizamiento Marítimo- of AISM/IALA. More than 50 countries adopted this legislation, which is binding on Spain since 1983.
Among its activities, Puertos del Estado elaborates some rules and recommendations about Aids to Navigation, always within AISM/IALA. In addition, Puertos del Estados promotes the technical education and publishes a Multimedia Guide of Spanish Lighthouses to inform the public about these maritime aids to navigation.
Furthermore, Puertos del Estado is responsible for specific projects such as the national network of global differential position system - Red Nacional del Sistema Diferencial de Posicionamiento Global (DGPS) - for the maritime navigation or the Remote Supervision System of Maritime Signals - Sistema de Supervisión Remota de Señales Marítimas (SSRSM) for a better management of the maritime aids to navigation between the various port authorities.
With regard to the international scope of the Maritime Aids to Navigation, Puertos del Estado joined to the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (AISM/IALA), in 1994 taking part in some of its technical committees. In addition, this public entity also plays an active part in the forum promoted by the European Commission such as the European Maritime Radionavigation Forum (EMRF) concerning the various global navigation satellite systems and in, specifically, the European projects EGNOS and GALILEO.
In the Area of Aids to Navigation of Puertos del Estado, you will find a List of Services that include the quality control commitment with the users of these aids to navigation.