Belgium is working to change its legislation to enable the interception of vessels suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, according to De Tijd on Thursday.
Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden confirmed that both legal and operational measures are being reviewed to allow Belgium to enforce certain provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Russian shadow fleet reportedly consists of around 500 ships operating under false flags or with no flag at all, facilitating Russian oil exports. An investigation by De Tijd and VRT NWS, in collaboration with UK, Dutch, and German media, revealed that these vessels use flags from approximately 30 countries or territories, including Angola, Aruba, Zambia, and Botswana.
Recently, France intercepted a tanker suspected to belong to this fleet. The ship, which had left the Russian port of Murmansk, near the Finnish border, was seized for its use of a false flag, according to President Emmanuel Macron.
Between 1 November and 1 February, 61 ships linked to the shadow fleet docked in Europe, the investigation found. Twenty of these vessels sailed in the North Sea, and at least 13 entered Belgium’s exclusive economic zone. No arrests have been made by Belgium so far, but new legislation can change the situation.
