The joint letter to the international maritime community has been written by a cluster of countries that border the Baltic and North Seas: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

They call for all vessels to follow international law, such as maintaining communication and carrying the correct documentation, and for countries to step up compliance for all ships sailing under their flag.

It says vessels sailing under the flag of more than one country for "convenience" to evade sanctions – as ships transporting Russian oil do – "may be treated as a ship without nationality."

This would allow ships to be boarded, searched, and seized by any nation's warships under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

France seized an oil tanker last week over its flag status and Estonia has also done so in the past.

The letter also calls on all vessels to report discharges of oil and other harmful substances and carry emergency plans for marine pollution emergencies.

The prime ministers of Norway and Estonia have both previously said it is only a matter of time until one of the old, poorly maintained shadow vessels has an accident – the only unanswered question is where it will happen.

Navigation Satellite Systems disturbances

The letter also highlights the risks posed by disruptions of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which they say originate from Russia.

For several years, Moscow has used jammers to try and protect its critical infrastructure from Ukrainian attacks, experts say. This has affected the accuracy of GNSS signals for planes, ships, drones and other vehicles.

The letter says the accurate functioning of GNSS "is not a technical luxury" but a "critical safety requirement."

"These disturbances, originating from the Russian Federation, degrade the safety of international shipping. All vessels are at risk," the letter says.

The signatories call on the International Maritime Community to recognise that the interference with GNSS, as well as the spoofing of the Automatic Identification System AIS is fundamental for emergency responses, and could increase the risk of accidents, and severely hamper rescue operations if tampered with, the letter says.

Additionally, the countries want the community to ensure vessels have a properly trained crew that can operate safely during navigation system outages, and to cooperate on the development of alternative terrestrial radionavigation systems.

"Maintaining trust in maritime navigation requires more than technology – it demands responsibility, transparency, and decisive action. We must ensure that our seas remain safe, including when systems fail or face disturbances," the letter states.

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