MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Russian shadow fleet and the environmental risk for our European waters and coastal communities – need for more action against the shadow fleet in the 16th sanctions package – E-000628/2025

Question for written answer  E-000628/2025
to the Council
Rule 144
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew)

Over the past year, European ship owners have earned EUR 6 billion by selling old tankers to the Russian shadow fleet. Most of these tankers should have been taken out of operation, because they pose an environmental risk to European waters and European coastal communities. The Baltic countries are now discussing using environmental risk as a means to identify, enter and potentially seize these ships.

• 1.Does the Council agree that, given the large amount of information that is publicly available about the shadow fleet and its illegal activities and strategies, companies could have suspected what their old oil tankers would be used for when they sold them?
• 2.Is the Council prepared to sanction European companies who have knowingly sold old tankers to the shadow fleet?
• 3.Does the Council agree that the next sanctions package against Russia should include a clause to prevent European companies from selling their old ships to any buyer who intends to use them transport to Russian oil, i.e. that this should become a contractual obligation between buyer and seller?

Submitted: 11.2.2025