"Shadow fleet" vessels are ships in bad condition used by Russia to transport its natural resources to bypass sanctions.

Under the EU's plan, agreements would be made with various flag states, allowing boarding of suspected shadow ships to conduct inspections.

Maritime law expert Alexander Lott said the plan is only a proposal, and its details are still unclear.

"It seems to me that the plan primarily concerns the right to board. But does it also include the right to inspect the vessel once on board, such as the right to question crew members, to investigate the ship to gather any evidence?" Lott asked.

He added that any boarding action is inherently disciplinary, but said such agreements could also allow more intensive procedural measures.

These kinds of agreements would not be new. The United States, for example, has used similar arrangements to check vessels for weapons of mass destruction, particularly after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said the European Union is the right party to negotiate such agreements.

"Europe has significant influence over third countries, through visa policy, trade aid, and various other rules, where we are a powerful actor. And these are the kinds of messages that will begin to reach those countries: 'Look, ships are sailing under your flag that are transporting Russian fuel, that are part of this shadow fleet,'" he told the show.

Michal said consistent effort could reduce the number of so-called flags of convenience.

However, that does not mean the shadow fleet problem would disappear immediately.

"In such a situation, ships in the shadow fleet would likely be tempted to switch flags, to a flag that, in the new environment, is more convenient, and whose flag state may not have a bilateral agreement with the EU. So, as a result of these developments, the shadow fleet may at least partially move under new flags," warned Lott.

This is why other means must also be used to combat the vessels.

The prime minister confirmed that the EU is also working to create an operational alert network. This could eventually extend to NATO.

"You are not allowed to change a ship's flag at sea, yet they do it mid-voyage, they forge documents, and so on. Keeping track of all that is up to the EU and NATO," Michal said.

Security expert Rainer Saks also said that even stronger sanctions need to be imposed on the shadow fleet, to make oil sales more expensive and inconvenient for Russia.

"Even though they're looking for new channels, trying to bypass sanctions, and finding partners willing to do so, overall, this definitely restricts and reduces Russia's income," Saks said.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!