The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organised a conference on the clunker fleet’s activities to discuss possible responses to the new challenges that operations of the fleet’s ships pose. A group of more than a thousand vessels ships Russian oil, which is sold above the set price cap. This allows Moscow to circumvent EU sanctions and finances Russia’ war. Those vessels often do not meet maritime norms and standards, and they are also not properly insured. Experts warn that the fleet’s activity is a threat to the environment, economy, and navigation safety. Combating the activity of the clunker fleet is one of the priorities of Polish and EU foreign policy. 

The European Union has sanctioned around 600 vessels and entities from third countries that support their activities. Most of these vessels were sanctioned during Poland’s presidency of the Council of the EU. Early into our presidency, there were less than 80 ships on the sanctions list. Half a year later—almost 450. Poland has shown that the motto “Security, Europe!” is not just a slogan. The conference has provided an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of existing measures and to strengthen cooperation also with partners outside the EU: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. 

During the event, experts emphasised that the activity of the clunker fleet is a global problem, which is why international cooperation is key to effectively limiting its operations.