The environmental threat posed by the shadow fleet of tankers shipping Russian oil exports cannot be policed by the European Union alone, according to a leading official for the bloc.
European Court of Auditors (ECA) audit supervisor Kristian Sniter has called for coordinated global action on the issue.
He told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday: “On the shadow fleet, we focus on the control system and we show that more controls can be done.
“You can react more to these satellite alerts. You can do more checks on the waste management.
“And that’s something that will make sure that the fleet generally is of better quality and more respectful of the rules in the EU.”
Sniter said these, often elderly, tankers are also a specific issue that is a topic of reflection at the global level.
He said: “It’s not just for the EU to decide how to control shadow fleets.
“You cannot easily intercept a boat that you would suspect of being part of a shadow fleet.
“You need proper rules to do this, and this has to be decided at a global scale at the International Maritime Organization level with the support of the EU.
“But the control system as it exists now allows for checks if a boat comes to a port and then the ports take control.”
Sniter also emphasised how vital satellite images are.
“If you see that some pollution is carried out, it’s happening, then you can go and check where the pollution comes from,” he said.
Last month, it was reported that Nordic and Baltic countries were in talks on how to carry out large-scale seizures of shadow fleet tankers carrying Russian oil.
Diplomats and government officials told Politico that new legislation is being drafted.
The plans cover three main areas.
Firstly, older vessels would be targeted if they risk causing environmental damage.
Next, piracy laws could be used to seize ships suspected of threatening undersea cables through sabotage.
Finally, new national laws could be introduced to make it easier to hold Russian-trading tankers.
Approved insurer
The new laws would require vessels to use an insurer from an approved list of mainstream companies, which shadow fleet ships are unable to do.
The sources said the EU would be asked to coordinate these efforts.
TradeWinds has also reported that Denmark plans to step up scrutiny of older tankers anchoring in its waters, signalling a potential crackdown on dark fleet vessels.
The Danish Maritime Authority said it would be conducting more port state controls on ships “that cannot be said to be in innocent passage” and anchor near Skagen, the northernmost point in Denmark and a key area linking the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
It added that the vessels pose a risk to mariners and the environment, and the checks will ensure the ships are complying with safety rules.
The announcement did not mention dark fleet, shadow fleet or Russian-linked ships specifically.
