Brussels, 21/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 January, the European Commission held a seminar to take stock of ways of preventing and discouraging acts of piracy, and means of protection against it.
The event brought together figures from the European maritime transport sector, representatives of world politics, high-ranking international servants, diplomats and representatives of the military, all of whom are concerned by this phenomenon. The EU having last month launched the military operation Atalanta led by the EU NAVFOR force to combat acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia, the Commission's seminar aimed to provide an exchange of experience and opinions on issues related to acts of piracy and armed robbery in a geopolitical and economic perspective. Furthermore, the implementation of the international legal framework allowing the international community as a whole to act to prevent and sanction these acts was also a main focus of the meeting. Solutions designed to resolve the phenomenon of piracy at sea and acts of armed robbery in the longer term were tackled using Community development aid instruments geographically and, globally, with the "Instrument for Stability" (IfS), providing for a programme for 2009/2011 on critical maritime routes, covering the Strait of Malacca and the Gulf of Aden. (O.L./transl.fl)