The EU aims to crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet vessels in European waters, according to the bloc’s internal documents, by allowing member states to stop and board suspect ships.
The documents, seen by Politico and Reuters, state that the EU’s diplomatic division, EEAS (European External Action Service) is seeking to strengthen the bloc’s maritime inspection rights so that member states can board and seize control of tankers suspected of carrying Russian oil while sailing under foreign flags, or no flag at all.
Russia has repeatedly been accused of using shadow fleet tankers to transport oil and gas in violation of international sanctions imposed over its war on Ukraine.
The EEAS proposal is intended to curb Moscow’s sanction evasion activities, while also addressing “threats to the environment and navigation safety” posed by the presence of its tankers in European waters.
The organisation also plans to target Russia’s false flag operations, a tactic often used by Moscow to bypass European restrictions by registering vessels in countries with minimal regulatory oversight over the ships carrying their flags.
According to the EEAS draft document, the EU has already started talks with several states implicated in registering Russian tankers to secure bilateral agreements to inspect suspicious vessels.
Panama, one of the countries believed to be facilitating Russia’s false flag operations, has already agreed “to deregister vessels sanctioned by the EU and recently decided to stop registering vessels older than 15 years,” in response to the EU plea, Politico reported.
In spring, the EU authorized member states to require proof of insurance from ships passing through their waters, and several have already begun detaining suspicious oil tankers in an effort to crack down on Russia’s deception tactics.
The EEAS draft also highlights the risks of that Russia might use its shadow fleet to wage hybrid war on Europe by, for example, using the vessels as drone launch platforms.
Several European countries, including Germany and Denmark, have reported that unidentified drones spotted over their territories were believed to have been launched from oil tankers anchored off their coasts.
Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the EU would “impede suspicious vessels” in European waters, after French forces arrested two tanker crew members suspected of being part of the Russian shadow fleet.