06/01/2023 (Agence Europe) – Rome introduced, on 3 January, a new code of conduct for humanitarian vessels rescuing migrants at sea, including fines ranging from €10,000 to €50,000 for ship captains who fail to comply with the rules, several media reported. Once a port of disembarkation has been allocated by the Italian authorities to a vessel, it must be reached without delay and without diverting its route to another vessel in distress. A first meeting of the Commission’s contact group involving Member States and NGOs will take place in January, the Commission said this week. This contact group aims to coordinate the response of Member States, while Rome and Paris were still at loggerheads in November over the reception of NGO vessels that have rescued migrants. (SP)