Strasbourg, 16/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The arrest, by the Indian authorities, of two Italian naval fusiliers who had fired on fishermen whom they had mistaken for pirates, has rekindled the debate on piracy at the European Parliament. MEPs warned the Commission on Wednesday 14 March, that urgent action should be taken to combat the increasing phenomenon of piracy in the Horn of Africa. They point out that the security of shipping routes, the protection of seafarers and trading interests are at stake. While the Commission recommends joint action with the International Maritime Organisation, MEPs consider the EU should take immediate action, on its own if needs be. Concerning the Italian fusiliers who are still being held in detention, European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs gave his assurance that the EU had contacted New Delhi to find a solution, and that the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, was doing all she could in this respect. Ashton has also contacted Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on the matter.
Several suggestions were generated from discussion between MEPs on the basis of damning evidence in a region which, just a few years ago, was not known for acts of piracy. Saïd El Khadraoui (S&D, Belgium) said that 300 attacks had taken place last year. Georgios Koumoutsakos (EPP, Greece) noted that losses due to piracy amounted to $7-12 billion, and Peter Van Dalen (ECR, Netherlands) referred to the hundreds of sailors held in detention. Dominique Vlasto (EPP, France) and Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE, Spain) regretted the scaling down of the European mission for the protection of shipping, Atalanta. Several MEPs called on the Commission to harmonise rules on the use of private security companies, as some countries authorise it, while others do not. An increasing number of shipowners are being compelled to call on private security services. Koumoutsakos suggested setting in place an EU representative in the Horn of Africa. Van Dalen reiterated his proposal to map out the financial flows springing from the proceeds of piracy, which are laundered in African as well as European banks. However, all those who took the floor were in favour of swift action being taken by the EU, with an overall and integrated approach, as piracy affects not only shipping but also has its roots in development-related issues. Omarjee Younous (GUE/NGL, France) criticised the European fishing agreements which lead to the “pillaging” of fish. He said that, under the cover of counter-piracy, geostrategic interests have allowed the phenomenon to develop. The parliamentary committee on transport (TRAN) is preparing a draft resolution on the subject, which could be voted during the next plenary session of Parliament. It is likely to work with other committees on the drafting process. The committee on foreign affairs will also consider the question in a draft resolution on the Horn of Africa. (MD/transl.jl)