The mere fact that a vessel, such as those of the German NGO Sea Watch, is used exclusively to search for and rescue people at sea does not exempt it from compliance with international or EU law, Advocate General Athanasios Rantos ruled in his opinion on Tuesday 22 February (cases C-14&15/21).
The German NGO Sea Watch is of the opinion that the detailed inspections carried out on two vessels that disembarked persons rescued at sea in Sicily by the harbourmasters of two Sicilian ports, which...