The number of flagged oil tankers in Europe has decreased due to increased anti-sanction measures. According to a report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the number of these tankers has dropped from 101 vessels in October last year to 45 vessels by the end of June this year. This reduction reflects the positive impact of Europe's actions to combat the shadow fleet that was involved in transporting Russian crude oil.
Details of the Reduction in Tanker Numbers
In the first half of this year, European authorities seized 13 tankers in European and British coastal waters. One of these tankers, “Smyrtos,” was seized last June by British forces in the English Channel for violating Russian sanctions. Additionally, French forces seized the tanker “Tagor” in the Mediterranean Sea in May.
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The CREA report also mentions the activities of the shadow fleet regarding flag changes. In December last year, the registration of Russian vessels peaked with the entry of 25 new tankers into this country's registry. However, since then, the number of new tankers that have joined the Russian registry has gradually decreased from 17 vessels in January to only three vessels in June.
Impact of New Regulations on the Shadow Fleet
This reduction is primarily due to a draft presidential decree proposing to limit the age of vessels that can be registered under the Russian flag. This measure could help restrict the activities of the shadow fleet and reduce the number of flagged oil tankers.
The 19-year-old tanker “Boracay” is another vessel that has changed its flag multiple times and was ultimately registered under the Russian flag in January. This tanker was seized by France near Saint-Nazaire last September, and its captain was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison. After two months out of service, the vessel resumed operations under the new name “Phoenix.”
Given the ongoing flag changes in the Russian shadow fleet, CREA has called on Europe to develop enforcement frameworks for vessels under the Russian flag and to continue and expand inspections and seizures of the shadow fleet.
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