The sea is a vital source of economic growth and prosperity for the European Union, its citizens and other countries and international organizations. Open and safe sea lanes are the foundation for stability and cooperation on a global scale.[1] To protect the seas and oceans, the European Union undertakes a number of anti-piracy operations, carried out by the EU Naval Force.

The European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) is a European Union Maritime Force operating under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP).[2] They were established to ensure stability on the seas and promote freedom of navigation, especially in crisis regions. To achieve this, EUNAVFOR works closely with national and regional military partners.[3]

The largest operation conducted by the EU Naval Force is ATALANTA, a mission conducted to ensure maritime security in the northwest Indian Ocean. The European Union launched this operation in 2008, expressing support for a joint initiative by member states to support a UN Security Council resolution to combat Somali piracy.

Somali piracy became a serious challenge in the early years of the 21st century. In 2005, Somalia was considered one of the most piracy-prone areas in the world. At that time, 45 piracy incidents were reported, and by 2008 the number had doubled. Of greatest concern was the Gulf of Aden, a key trade route linking Europe and the Far East. Due to its large water area – the Gulf of Aden is 885 kilometers long – the fight against organized crime groups by a unified naval force has not been successful enough.[4] In response to the growing threat off the coast of Somalia, the European Union established Operation Atalanta – a tool to counter piracy and ensure stability in the region.

Data collected since 2008 show that EU NAVFOR, in cooperation with counter-piracy partners, has achieved high effectiveness in preventing piracy attacks.[5] In addition to EU countries, EU NAVFOR’s activities are also supported by third countries such as Norway, Serbia, Montenegro, Ukraine and New Zealand.

At the height of the pirate attacks, in 2011, they held 736 hostages and 32 ships. Since the start of the naval operation, EU NAVFOR ATALANTA:

  • maintains 100 percent effectiveness in escorting and protecting World Food Program vessels,
  • deters, prevents and suppresses acts of piracy in the area of the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Basin, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba,[6]
  • secures merchant vessels and other ships vulnerable to pirate attacks,
  • is an important instrument of EU maritime diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region,
  • cooperates with international organizations and supports independent suppliers operating in the area of operations, e.g. CMF (Combined Maritime Forces).

Since the beginning of the operation, EU NAVFOR ATALANTA’s mandate has been renewed periodically. In December 2022, the Council of the European Union decided to extend the mandate for ongoing operations until December 31, 2024. The decision was made following a strategic review of initiatives carried out under the Common Foreign and Security Policy.[7]

One of the important undertakings within the framework of Operation ATALANTA was the “ALDABRA III” exercises. They were held in September/October 2024 in cooperation with the Republic of Seychelles and based on the provisions of the Djibouti Code of Conduct. They consisted of a theoretical and practical phase, which included representatives from EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, the Seychelles Defense Forces, the Djibouti Code of Conduct, the Regional Coordination Center for Operations (RCOC), Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).[8]

The theoretical phase consisted of a legal seminar and a theory and practice workshop, where the international legal basis of maritime operations, countering pirate attacks and the topic of maritime domain awareness were discussed. Practical exercises mainly included a joint maritime traffic monitoring operation, in which the EU NAVFOR ATALANTA operation ship, ESPS NUMANCIA, participated. Special units of Seychelles and EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, as well as Scan Eagle air surveillance units also took part in the operations.[9]

The exercises, organized as part of the EU NAVFOR ATALANTA operation, are aimed at countering changing threats at sea, including the phenomenon of piracy, which poses a serious challenge to the safety of shipping. As Barbara Szustkiewicz notes in her paper “The Piracy Phenomenon as a Threat to Maritime Security in the 21st Century:

“There is no doubt that the frequency of actions taken by pirates in particular areas has changed over the years. For this reason, the conclusion arises that even the areas affected by maritime piracy are subject to the evolution of the phenomenon. This can be confirmed by the fact that in 1988 only three areas of the phenomenon in question were distinguished, which were the Gulf of Guinea, the Strait of Malacca and the coast of Brazil. The development of piracy and the dynamic changes in its scope have led to an increase in the number of bodies of water threatened by this form of maritime crime.”

We encourage you to read the full analysis of the piracy phenomenon in the publication, available on our website.

Tekst powstał w ramach realizacji zadania publicznego zleconego w ramach Rządowego Programu Rozwoju Organizacji Obywatelskich na lata 2018–2030 r. „Bezpieczna Polska jutra – rozwój działań misyjnych Alioth Foundation”.

Bibliography

[1] Rada Unii Europejskiej „Strategia Unii Europejskiej w zakresie bezpieczeństwa morskiego” Bruksela 2014, s.2.

[2] Parlament Europejski „Wspólna polityka bezpieczeństwa i obrony” [online].

[3] European Union External Action „Operation Atalanta, the European Union Naval Force for Somalia takes stock after 13 years operating” [online].

[4] M. Janikowski, S. Zarychta, „Piractwo morskie – ogólnoświatowy problem”, Rocznik Bezpieczeństwa Morskiego 2009, s. 37.

[5] European Union External Action „Operation Atalanta, the European Union Naval Force for Somalia takes stock after 13 years operating” [online].

[6] EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA „Mission” [online].

[7] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/pl/press/press-releases/2022/12/12/operation-atalanta-eutm-somalia-and-eucap-somalia-mandates-extended-for-two-years/

[8] EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA „Operation Atalanta conducts the “ALDABRA III” exercise in Seychelles” [online].

[9] Ibidem.