On 3 June 2004, the European Commission (DG TREN) requested from EMSA technical input supporting the forthcoming new legislative proposals on maritime safety.
A report was prepared showing how EU Member States had organised their maritime administrations and how the respective bodies implemented their obligations under the International Conventions and EU legislation, relating to Safety at Sea and Pollution prevention from ships. Information about the Icelandic and Norwegian maritime administrations was also included.
Since the first delivery of the "Overview" in 2004, the number of EU Member States has increased from 25 to 28 (Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union on 1st January 2007; Croatia joined on 1st July 2013).