The European Union seeks to strengthen its powers to inspect vessels of Russia's shadow fleet. This is reported by Politico, citing a document from the European External Action Service (EEAS) prepared for the meeting of EU foreign ministers, UNN reports.
Details
The relevant document was prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS) for the meeting of EU foreign ministers, which is scheduled for Monday, October 20.
It is noted that the European Union plans to reach an agreement with the countries under whose flags vessels of the Russian "shadow fleet" sail, in order to obtain the right to inspect these ships in advance.
The publication reports that the European Union "intends to use various tools" to encourage these countries to deregister sanctioned vessels. For example, Panama - the world's largest ship registry - has already agreed to exclude vessels subject to EU sanctions from its registry, and recently decided to stop registering ships older than 15 years.
The issue of vessels carrying Russian oil under various flags to circumvent EU sanctions has broad implications for the bloc, as these vessels not only contribute to strengthening Moscow's war economy, but also "pose a threat to the environment and navigation safety," according to a five-page document prepared by the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic body.
In some cases, such ships have already been suspected of serving as launching pads for Russian drones, which are allegedly used for reconnaissance or to destabilize the operation of civilian airports in Europe.
Shadow fleet vessels also pose a risk to critical infrastructure and "can be used as platforms for hybrid attacks on EU territory."
According to Politico, Russia's "shadow fleet" may include up to 17% of all tankers in the world.
The draft declaration proposes "possible bilateral agreements between flag states (states under whose flag the vessels of the "shadow fleet" sail - IF-U) and the EU on pre-authorized inspections.
It is planned to complete work on the draft declaration by the end of November and adopt it at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Once the declaration receives the support of the member states, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas "will ask the Council for authorization to start negotiations on bilateral agreements with designated flag states."
It also states that the EU "can support the efforts of member states if they agree to grant the EU the right to negotiate agreements on pre-authorized boardings for inspections on their behalf."
In addition, the EU intends to encourage flag states to deregister sanctioned vessels.
Recall
The European Union proposed imposing restrictions against three companies that provided fake flags to sanctioned oil tankers of Russia's shadow fleet. These measures are part of a new package of EU sanctions currently being discussed among member states.