The European Commission wants to increase the number of icebreakers in the EU — here’s why
Kyiv • UNN
The European Commission wants to expand the use of icebreakers to support shipping in the northern regions of the EU. The timelines and funding have not been determined.
The European Commission advocates more active use of icebreakers by European Union countries. Currently, the relevant joint operations are being conducted in Finland and Sweden. This was reported by Finnish broadcaster Yle, writes UNN.
Details
Icebreakers play an important role in ensuring maritime shipping in the northern regions of Europe, where significant ice cover forms in winter.
In particular, Finnish and Swedish icebreakers operate in the Gulf of Bothnia, helping to maintain vessel traffic in difficult ice conditions.
Cooperation between Finland and Sweden
Among the vessels operating in the region are the Finnish icebreaker Fennica and the Swedish Ymer. Their activities demonstrate the possibilities for cooperation between neighboring countries in ensuring maritime navigation.
The European Commission is interested in the wider use of such vessels by EU countries. At the same time, the report does not specify how many additional icebreakers are planned to be deployed.
There is also currently no information about the specific timeline for implementing the initiative or the amount of potential funding.
Further decisions on developing the icebreaker fleet will depend on the European Commission's proposals and agreements between EU member states.