the European Community Shipowners' prompt Associations the EU to assume concrete initiatives in order to contrast piracy in West Africa



task force on piracy of the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) it has sped up an extension of the mandate to contrast the activity of the pirates in waters of the Horn of Africa and the which released western Indian Ocean to naval force international EU Navfor in the within of the Atlanta operation and has exhorted the European Union to assume concrete initiatives in order to fight piracy in West Africa.

The task force of the association of the European shipowners it has expressed satisfaction for the decrease of attacks of the pirates recorded in all the Horn of Africa and the gratefulness of the shipowners for the put initiatives in existence in order to reach this objective. "The naval presence of the Member States of the European Union, through their participation to the EU Navfor Atlanta and their collaboration with the other international forces - it has found the organism of the ECSA - has strongly contributed to the reduction of the success of the actions of piracy in this region. With the measures of self-protection adopted by the shipowners, the indictment of which is suspected of actions of piracy and the efforts for the reconstruction in Somalia, the naval presence has determined a remarkable improvement of the situation of safety in the Gulf of Aden. However, even if the developments on the terrestrial front are promising, among other things thanks to the efforts by the EU in facing the problems of piracy to the root - it has specified the task force - the situation is fragile and remains ribaltabile easy. The problem has been content, not resolved. He is therefore absolutely indispensable that the Member States continue to maintain to the military operation and the other initiatives in the region. The shipowners of the EU speed up therefore the extension of the mandate of the EU Navfor Atlanta beyond 2014, at least until 2016".

In front of the opposite coast African the situation is different being in existence in the region an escalation of the assaults of the pirates. "Unfortunately - it has confirmed the task force of the ECSA - piracy and the holdups armed are in increase in the Gulf of Guinea. Also now they are on it attacks very to out of territorial waters and is used extreme violence". The commission on piracy of the ECSA has evidenced that the European shipowners are able to not to resolve the situation independently and has invited the European Union and its Member States to assume an immediate action and realizes. In particular, the ECSA has asked international a military presence for out of territorial waters, an adapted protection by local Marina in territorial waters, to allow I use it of private armed guards on board of the ships and to institute an effective system of control and information dissimation.