EU Piracy Policy Topics To Be Raised Next Week

There are two articles discussing EU evaluations of piracy options looking into 2010. The first is the need for more frigates. This one is from DefenseNews.

"The EU has committed three or four frigates, in 2010 but we probably need between six and 10 to cover that vast area," Gen. Henri Bentegeat said at a news conference following a meeting of the EU Chairs of Defense Staff (CHODs). He insisted that there was coordination between the EU and NATO naval assets in the area and "certainly no duplication."

As for progress on developing military capabilities at the EU level, he said it was "hard to tackle shortfalls in a time of economic crisis" but stressed that "countries cannot afford to go on focusing on national priorities without giving more thought to European cooperation."

The EU was formed for reasons of economics, but is coming around to seeing the link between security and economics. That last sentence would normally be noteworthy, but it is a General not a politician making the statement.

Spain wants more than just ships though, they are discussing the necessity for the EU NAVFOR to change tactics.

Spain wants EU naval forces to blockade three Somali ports used to launch pirate attacks against ships in the Indian Ocean, Defence Minister Carme Chacon said Wednesday.

She said Spain will call on European Union foreign and defence ministers to concentrate military efforts on blockading the ports at a meeting next Monday and Tuesday.

"We know that it is from these three ports that most, if not all, 'mother ships' used by pirates reach up to one thousand miles away from the coast -- as they did yesterday -- and carry out kidnappings far from the coast," she told RNE public radio.

Chacon also said the pirate gangs "have ties to sophisticated law firms in London," and she called for the international community to do more to track ransoms given to pirates to release hostages.

Two critical points here. The UN already allows operations by foreign navies in territorial waters of Somalia, so there is a legal foundation to build a case for such tactics. With that said, a blockade is going to require a lot of ships and is a lot different than simply escorting convoys.

But the main point is the last one, specifically following the money. Pirate attacks originating from Somalia are up, particularly in the Seychelles area in the Indian Ocean. It is only a matter of time before the next major incident, and it is unlikely to be as spectacularly handled as the Maersk Alabama incident.