21
Jan
2025
Watch
Need to detect and to counter sabotage by the Russian shadow fleet, damaging critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea (debate)
Mr President, Dear Commissioner, The Baltic Sea is threatened by Russia, in particular by the Russian shadow fleet. We can only imagine what would happen if, as recently as in the Black Sea, a Russian tanker crashed in the Baltic Sea and large-scale oil spills occurred in the Baltic Sea. Such a disaster would be irreversible for my region. The marine ecosystem would have been destroyed, and for several generations our beautiful beaches would in principle have been finished for decades. NATO has already responded by sending patrol vessels. The European Union must now do its homework and the Baltic Sea must be protected. And what does that mean? Establishment of trained, equipped response teams that can take immediate action in case of oil spills; Baltic Sea States Co-operation Scheme for Coordinated Action and Storage of Oil Spill Prevention Equipment in Strategic Areas Close to High Risk Areas. As long as Russia is not defeated, but sails in the Baltic Sea, we must be prepared for the worst scenario.