The European Commission has amended the Vessel Monitoring Directive to require all ships transiting EU waters—not just those entering EU ports—to provide insurance details to counter the risks posed by the growing shadow fleet of ageing, uninsured, and often sanctioned vessels. This follows mounting concerns over environmental hazards and threats to subsea infrastructure linked to these ships, as many operate without confirmed insurance and are significantly older than the global fleet average. The measure complements broader European efforts, including military operations like Baltic Sentry and Nordic Warden, to monitor and curb shadow fleet activity in the region.
