A program on the safety of maritime routes under study

(BRUSSELS2) The European Commission is due to adopt a “critical maritime routes” program in the autumn, which aims to find solutions to piracy in the longer term. The objective is to support the States of the region. The 27 are completing the examination of this programme, which is part of an overall commitment package for the stability of Somalia which is in line with the resolution adopted on July 27, during the meeting of Foreign Ministers. And a delegation from the European Parliament will look into the matter at the start of the school year.

The scope of this program is located in three critical regions for European maritime traffic: the Strait of Malacca, the Bab-el-Mandeb pass and the Gulf of Aden. The objective is to strengthen regional cooperation: with an information sharing center (ISFC) in Sana (Yemen), a training and documentation center in Djibouti (the issue of training coast guards would be considered there), capacity building for the coastguards with the creation of a center in Aden (Yemen) and in Djibouti. Between 14 and 18 million euros over the period 2009-2011 would be available for this programme, which is financed by the EU's Instrument for Stability, capable of intervening in crisis regions.

If, for the moment, no European is officially present in Somalia, in the areas controlled by the transitional government; the situation seems safer on the side of the semi-autonomous province of Somaliland in the North.