The EU is seeking to boost the bloc’s powers to board vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet for inspections, according to a document prepared for Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers and seen by POLITICO.
The shadow fleet ships also are a risk for critical infrastructure and “can be used as platforms for hybrid attacks against EU territory,” the document states.
That effort “would provide an additional tool to member states to boost the effectiveness of enforcement actions, including providing a basis to board shadow fleet ships,” the document says.
The draft declaration proposes “possible bilateral agreements between the flag states and the EU on pre-authorized boardings for inspections,” the EEAS wrote in the document.
And “possible additional measures could include targeting the provision of logistical support to shadow fleet vessels, such as oil bunkering,” the document says.
The EU is looking to increase the bloc’s authority to inspect ships in Russia’s shadow fleet, according to a document seen by POLITICO that was prepared for Monday’s EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
According to a five-page report created by the European External Action Service, the diplomatic branch of the EU, the problem of ships carrying Russian oil flying under different flags in order to evade EU sanctions has broad ramifications for the bloc because those ships “pose threats to the environment and to navigation safety,” in addition to aiding Moscow’s war economy.
Critical infrastructure is also at risk from the shadow fleet ships, which “can be used as platforms for hybrid attacks against EU territory,” according to the report. In certain cases, the ships are thought to be Russian drone launch pads that are used to disrupt civilian airports and reconnoiter important Western locations.
The EEAS document states that it launched a technical-level discussion this month based on a draft declaration of the EU and its member states on strengthening the framework of the International Law of the Sea. This endeavor “would give member states an extra tool to increase the efficacy of enforcement actions, including giving them a basis to board shadow fleet ships,” according to the document.
“Possible bilateral agreements between the flag states and the EU on pre-authorized boardings for inspections” are suggested in the draft declaration, according to the EEAS.
The goal is to complete the draft declaration by the end of November and have it approved at the next EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, will “seek the authorization of the Council to open negotiations for bilateral agreements with identified flag states,” the document states, after member states have endorsed the declaration.
The document shows that EU member states “increasingly demonstrate a renewed momentum for more robust enforcement actions tackling the shadow fleet,” citing the example of French soldiers who boarded the Boracay, an oil tanker thought to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet, off the coast of Denmark at the beginning of the month when unidentified drones forced the temporary closure of several airports and also anchored off western France for a few days.
“If member states agree to grant the EU the right to negotiate agreements on their behalf for pre-authorized boardings for inspections,” the document states, the EU “could support member states in their efforts.”.
As stated in the EEAS document, the EU “aims to mobilize its various tools to provide support and incentives to flag states to deregister sanctioned vessels,” in addition to contacting priority flag states and coastal states that supply or permit logistical support and bunkering services to the shadow fleet.
According to the EEAS report, Panama, the biggest ship registry, “has agreed to deregister vessels sanctioned by the EU and recently decided to stop registering vessels older than 15 years.”.
According to the document, the EU “will continue to propose additional listings of vessels and shadow fleet ecosystem operators such as insurers and flag registries” in order to impose additional sanctions, expanding on actions already included in packages of sanctions.
“Potential additional measures could include targeting the provision of logistical support to shadow fleet vessels, such as oil bunkering,” the document adds.
