Belgium plans law to intercept suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ vessels

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Belgium is preparing to amend its legislation to allow authorities to intercept vessels suspected of belonging to Russia's so-called “shadow fleet,” according to local media reports on Thursday.

Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said the government is working to adapt legal and operational frameworks to enable Belgium to apply certain provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, RTL Info reported, citing the Flemish daily De Tijd.

Verlinden said several legal elements need revision to allow Belgian authorities to act against suspicious vessels operating in Belgian waters.

An investigation conducted by De Tijd and broadcaster VRT, in cooperation with British, Dutch and German media outlets, found that Russia's shadow fleet consists of nearly 500 ships.

These vessels are reported to sail under false flags or without any flag at all.

According to the investigation, the ships use flags from around 30 countries and territories, including Angola, Aruba, Zambia and Botswana.

Between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1, 61 vessels linked to the shadow fleet docked at European ports.

Twenty ships crossed the North Sea, while at least 13 entered Belgium’s exclusive economic zone, the report said.

Despite these crossings, Belgium has not carried out any arrests so far.

Recently, France intercepted a tanker suspected of being part of the shadow fleet and handed it over to judicial authorities. The vessel had departed from the Russian port city of Murmansk, near the Finnish border.