Members of the Corps contribute within national, international and European Union bodies to the design, development and implementation of French maritime public policies.
Its role is to ensure the direction of the services of the territorial administration of the State in charge of the sea and the coast, the organizations which depend on them and the maritime higher education establishments.
(c) Officers of the Merchant Navy, holders of a maritime diploma of higher studies, aged forty at most, and having at least thirty months of service at sea.
This competition is open to:[3] (a) Officers of the Merchant Navy, aged forty-five at the most, holders of a maritime diploma of higher studies and a valid licence giving at least the prerogatives of captain without limitation of tonnage, or of chief engineer without power limitation, and with at least eighteen months of service at sea in a managerial capacity.
(b) Officers of the Merchant Navy, aged forty-five at the most, holders of the Merchant Navy 1st Class Cadet Officer diploma and a valid licence giving at least the prerogatives of captain without limitation of tonnage, or chief engineer without power limitation, and with at least thirty months of service at sea in a managerial capacity.