Seizing the Russian shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea: the Commission’s measures to prevent vessel sales

Question écrite de M. Jonas SJÖSTEDT - Commission européenne

Question de M. Jonas SJÖSTEDT, M. Francisco ASSIS, M. Roberts ZĪLE, Mme Inese VAIDERE, M. Johan DANIELSSON, Mme Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN, Mme Sandra KALNIETE, Mme Aura SALLA, M. Villy SØVNDAL, M. Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, M. Csaba MOLNÁR, Mme Merja KYLLÖNEN, M. Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Mme Elsi KATAINEN, Mme Heléne FRITZON, Mme Evin INCIR, M. Tomas TOBÉ, Mme Jessica POLFJÄRD, M. Jörgen WARBORN, Mme Arba KOKALARI, M. Karlo RESSLER, Mme Hannah NEUMANN, Mme Magdalena ADAMOWICZ, M. Andrzej HALICKI, Mme Markéta GREGOROVÁ, Mme Klára DOBREV, M. Michal WIEZIK, M. Martin HOJSÍK, M. Ville NIINISTÖ, Mme Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ, M. Liudas MAŽYLIS, Mme Anna-Maja HENRIKSSON, Mme Katri KULMUNI, Mme Miriam LEXMANN, M. Riho TERRAS, M. Rihards KOLS, M. Krzysztof BREJZA, M. Pekka TOVERI, M. Sebastian TYNKKYNEN, M. Dainius ŽALIMAS, M. Paulius SAUDARGAS, M. Mika AALTOLA, M. Ondřej KRUTÍLEK, M. Wouter BEKE, Mme Marie-Agnes STRACK-ZIMMERMANN, Mme Lucia YAR, Mme Ľubica KARVAŠOVÁ, M. Diego SOLIER, Mme Nora JUNCO GARCÍA, M. Per CLAUSEN, M. Michał SZCZERBA, M. Henrik DAHL, M. Rasmus NORDQVIST, M. Hélder SOUSA SILVA, M. Michał DWORCZYK, M. Piotr MÜLLER, M. Sebastião BUGALHO, M. Adnan DIBRANI, Mme Sofie ERIKSSON, Mme Alice TEODORESCU MÅWE, M. Nikola MINCHEV,

Diffusée le 18 mars 2025

Subject: Seizing the Russian shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea: the Commission’s measures to prevent vessel sales

We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, are writing to express our deep concern regarding recent reports that European and US ship owners have sold at least 230 ageing oil tankers to entities facilitating the Russian shadow fleet.

The shadow fleet enables Russia to circumvent international sanctions, thereby sustaining its oil exports and financing its ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

Despite the restrictive measures that the EU has already imposed on the Russian shadow fleet, the continued sale of tankers to the shadow fleet indicates that current measures may not be sufficient. It has been estimated that the number of hybrid operations will increase in the future, and the shadow fleet poses a significant security and environmental threat, especially to the countries in the Baltic Sea region.

Given this situation:

1. What measures is the Commission planning to introduce to prevent the sale of vessels to the shadow fleet?

2. How does the Commission plan to effectively track the shadow fleet and block its access to the sea?

Submitted: 19.3.2025