EU To Extend Operation Atalanta Another 2 Years

Today the Council of the European Union has extended Operation Atalanta with another 2 years, so they will be off the Somali coast until December 2012 at least.
The Council has also agreed to extend the current AOR further to the east and south.

The press release doesn't say how much further east and south, but currently they operate as far from the Somali coast as the Seychelles and Tanzania. So maybe we'll see in future news thatsome EU vessel has diverted a pirate attack near the Maldives or the southern point of Madagascar.

The Council reiterates the EU´s commitment to help countries in the region to enhance their capacity to facilitate the prosecution and detention of suspected pirates consistent with applicable international human rights law. The Council commends Kenya and the Seychelles for their cooperation and invites other countries in the region to engage in these efforts.

It is a really good thing, to get all regional players more involved. Because whatever the verdict will be in the pirate trial in the Netherlands, it is clear that the pirates will be better off: a Dutch prison cell-with television, shower and a toilet- beats any Somali shack, as does live as a refugee over here.

Another interesting bit is this:

It strongly encourages the international maritime community to further promote full adherence to recommended best practice in order to continue increasing its capacity to meet its responsibility to keep its vessels safe.

While it sounds so obvious, apparently it isn't. The recently released analysis of the deployment of HNLMS Evertsen to Operation Atalanta from August 13 - December 18 in 2009 concluded that the majority of hijacked vessels didn't adhere to Best Management Practices or used the recommended transit routes from the Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa (MSCHOA). The report says that (during the time of the Evertsen's deployment) 28% of all merchant vessels do not register with MSCHOA and 4% doesn't use the IRTC. And about 10% of the vessels that are categorized 'very vulnerable' due to their slow speed do not use group transits through the IRTC.

One other thing the EU should look into the Dutch claim that EU vessels are also doing national tasks, such as protecting the fishing vessels and hijacked ships from their respective countries, although they're officially under EU orders.
This hampers the effect of Operation Atalanta because the vessels can then not be deployed for those tasks.
This could leave the operation with not enough ships to carry out it's tasks.