Finland called on the EU to buy a special vessel because of Russian oil

Finland is wary that the transportation of Russian oil by old vessels poses a threat to the Baltic Sea.

The country called on the European Union to purchase a vessel to eliminate oil spills in the northern part of the Baltic Sea, writes Bloomberg with reference to the statement of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland.

Thus, the risk of an oil spill in this region increased after international sanctions forced Russia to transport oil in old vessels with weaker insurance coverage.

Winter conditions also increase these risks, as Russian vessels of the so-called shadow fleet may be “poorly equipped and not adapted to icy conditions.”

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) currently has 14 oil spill response vessels deployed in ports from Constanta on Romania’s Black Sea coast to Malmö in southern Sweden.

The Finnish ministry said that the EU agency is to acquire a 15th vessel to cover the northern areas of the Baltic Sea, especially the Gulf of Finland.

“The ship must be capable of navigating in ice and adapted to the conditions of the northern part of the Baltic Sea, as collecting oil in winter conditions is a more difficult and expensive process than liquidating spills in the open sea,” the ministry emphasized.

Of note, this week Finland, Sweden and Estonia are organizing an event in conjunction with the EMSA board meeting in Lisbon to call for more EU funding for the region.

Read also: Russia has found another location for transshipment of oil in the Mediterranean Sea.