Somali piracy report published
5 May 2010
The House of Lords EU Committee has published its report into Somali piracy. The report examines the effectiveness of EU Operation Atalanta, which was set up to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
- Report: Combating Somali Piracy: the EU’s naval Operation Atalanta
- House of Lords EU Committee Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Policy
Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean is a serious and continuing threat to UK and EU interests.
With this in mind the report makes recommendations regarding:
- the duration of Operation Atalanta
- the World Food Programme and the vessels being used by the programme
- contributions from the Insurance and Shipping industries to the combating of pirates in the region
Methods used by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean remain basic. The success of Operation Atalanta and other efforts means that pirates have been forced to operate further offshore in the Indian Ocean, increasing the risk of detection for pirates as they have to use larger vessels.
Given this displacement of piracy further into the Indian Ocean, it is all the more important that Atalanta has the right capabilities.
The report identifies capability shortfalls which prevent improvements to the effectiveness of Atalanta, including airborne surveillance medical facilities and tanker support for re-fuelling.