Fourteen European coastal states of the Baltic and North Sea have issued an unprecedented joint warning to flag states and shadow fleet shipowners of their legal obligation to comply with international navigation safety standards and maritime law. The initiative is clearly aimed at Russia’s shadow tanker fleet while confronting escalating satellite navigation (GNSS) interference across European waters.
“These disturbances, originating from the Russian Federation, degrade the safety of international shipping. All vessels are at risk,” the 14 coastal states affirmed..
The formal letter was signed by Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom — as well as Iceland
“Modern maritime transport is fundamentally built on the reliability of satellite-based navigation,” the letter stated, stressing that escalating disruptions pose a direct and immediate threat to maritime safety.
“We are now facing new emerging safety situations due to growing GNSS interference in European waters, particularly in the Baltic Sea region,” the letter states. “These disturbances, originating from the Russian Federation, degrade the safety of international shipping. All vessels are at risk.”
The letter pointed out that satellite navigation is not simply a technical convenience but a foundational safety requirement, critical for ship positioning, collision avoidance, and time synchronization within the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.
It further warned against manipulation of the Automatic Identification System (AIS), commenting that “spoofing or falsifying AIS data undermines maritime safety and security, increases the risk of accidents, and severely hampers search and rescue operations.”
The directive outlined thirteen mandatory compliance measures for vessels operating in the Baltic and North Seas. These included strict adherence to flag state documentation, continuous operation of AIS and LRIT systems, compliance with IMO ship routing schemes, and mandatory reporting requirements.
The states reminded ship owners that vessels can only fly one flag, and that sailing under the flags of two or more nations amounts to operating as a stateless vessel, per UNCLOS Article 92.
Among recent developments, French naval forces on January 22 boarded and seized the Russian oil tanker MT Grinch in the Mediterranean – evoking Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and citing suspicions the ship was sailing under a false flag. President Emmanuel Macron specifically linked the seizure to the war in Ukraine, stating that “the activities of the ‘shadow fleet’ contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
(Photo from German Central Command, Havariekommando)