Teresa Usewicz: The European Union and maritime safety and security

The European Union, like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), is interested in actively shaping maritime safety and security. An example of this growing interest was the adoption of the EUMSS – European Union Maritime Security Strategy, in 2014, followed by its revised version and action plan in October 2023. The document contained six strategic objectives, which were translated into some 150 definitive actions formulated in an accompanying action plan. In the light of the objectives adopted, the European Union commits itself, among other things, to intensifying its actions at sea (organising joint exercises between the navies and coastguards of the Member States, stepping up action against threats at sea), cooperating with partners (primarily NATO) or developing civilian and military capabilities in the field of maritime security. However, it is important to recognise that any kind of action taken by the EU will always depend on the political will of the Member States. The EU is an international organisation, not a state, and therefore its capabilities should not be seen as the simple sum of the capabilities of the Member States. The EU does not have its own navy and, as in the case of NATO, the forces allocated to it by the Member States depend on their voluntary declarations and therefore de facto on their interests. 

It is worth noting here that the EU's maritime engagement should be viewed in two ways. Firstly, from the perspective of maritime safety, i.e. activities related to the safety of economic activities at sea and non-intentional threats, and secondly, from the perspective of maritime security, i.e. protection against intentional man-made threats (e.g. piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal immigration). These activities are implemented within the framework of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. In a literary sense, the terms maritime security and maritime safety are often mentioned as two elements of the same whole, closely correlated, but nevertheless concepts that should be distinguished from each other. This division is very important, as it affects the functioning of many actors, their competences and tasks.

In this respect, it can be concluded that both the Integrated Maritime Policy and the Improvement of Safety in Maritime Transport, in other words the improvement of the safety of human activities at sea (maritime safety), are undoubtedly successes of the EU. The implementation of a number of measures in this area confirms that the EU is becoming an increasingly proactive actor in the maritime environment and that its efforts are recognised globally. A somewhat different aspect of the EU's approach to maritime affairs is the actions taken under the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), which is an integral part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). These actions against intentional man-made threats are undertaken under policies that are intergovernmental in nature. This results in a number of constraints and a constant clash between the supranational factor and the national factor, while imposing a permanent need to seek compromise. The most visible maritime activity conducted under the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy remains military naval operations. However, while EU NAVFOR Atalanta is one of the few unquestionable successes of the EU in the military dimension, other operations, such as EU NAVFOR MED Irini, have limited effectiveness and are characterised by the execution of typically police-like tasks with low combat intensity. 
     
An important attempt to break this approach is the EU's latest naval military operation, the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) ASPIDES, which aims to ensure security in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. It was launched as a direct result of attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea. 
     
Although the EU's actions are limited to maritime operations, which de facto mainly protect merchant ships, and do not really neutralise the sources of danger in the area, they do make a significant contribution to the stability and security of shipping and thus to the European maritime economy. 
     
The actions carried out should therefore be seen as unambiguously positive and as an example of the proper use of the EU's potential. They are an example of an exemplification of the growing awareness among EU decision-makers of the close link between the state of the EU economy and the safety of maritime trade routes, and an important signal from the EU, which wishes to be perceived as a global provider of activities not only in the area of maritime safety, but also in the field of maritime security.