Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Ashton on behalf of the Commission
6.7.2012
According to operational practice in international shipping, the owner of a ship can be different from her operator or the flag under which the ship sails. It can be thus misleading to draw conclusions on illegal trading based on the one statistic of ownership.
The EU has taken major steps to enhance both maritime safety and security. SafeSeaNet, the EU platform for maritime traffic information exchange operated by EMSA is fully operational and provides Member State authorities with near real-time information of ship's movements around the EU. It will be enriched with further information sources including from satellite surveillance. Once the EU system for border surveillance (Eurosur) becomes fully operational it will cover the Mediterranean Sea[1] as priority. Eurosur covers all cross-border crime at the EU external borders. Finally the Commission is working with Member States towards integrating maritime surveillance enabling exchange of information services across borders and sectors for targeted purposes.[2] The final result, a Common Information Sharing Environment, will interlink the different surveillance systems and public authorities in a cost effective environment enhancing maritime awareness and effectiveness of public intervention at sea. It will enable the automated exchange and/or compiling of such lists of suspect vessels by any public authority that needs to establish awareness, monitor or intercept a suspect vessel.
An essential complement would be that all EU Member States ratify the 2005 Protocol to the Convention of the International Maritime Organisation on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts at Sea allowing for the repression of illegal traffic of dual use goods and other goods destined to proliferation or terrorist ends.
- [1] The usual transit area of the sort of illegal activities the Honourable Member refers to.
- [2] COM(2009)538 final, COM(2010)584 final.
OJ C 248 E, 29/08/2013