Welcome
Joint Statement 4th Shadow Fleet Expert Group Meeting 19–20 February 2025
Joint statement by the coastal states of the Baltic Sea and North Sea – Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom – following the fourth expert-level meeting in Stockholm 19–20 February 2025.
Reaffirming our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, and comprehensive support for Ukraine for as long as it takes, the participating countries of the Shadow Fleet Expert Group,
recalling
- the Coalition Advisory for the Maritime Oil Industry (October 2023, updated October 2024);
- IMO Resolution A.1192(33) (6 December 2023);
- Porvoo Declaration by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (14 June 2024);
- ‘Call to Action’ on the shadow fleet, agreed at the UK-hosted European Political Community (EPC) Summit (19 July 2024);
- Joint statement of the Nordic-Ukrainian Summit (28 October 2024);
- The Shadow Fleet Expert Group Joint Statement (15 November 2024);
- Insurance Initiative announced by NB8++ (16 December 2024);
- Joint Statement of The Joint Expeditionary Force Leaders’ Summit in Tallinn (17 December 2024);
- Joint Statement of the Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit (14 January 2025);
- Joint Readout: Multilateral Experts Group Initiates Joint Actions to Further Counter the Shadow Fleet and its Maritime Risks (10 January 2025),
are committed to continue addressing the risks that the shadow fleet poses to the environment, maritime safety and security, the integrity of international seaborne trade, critical undersea infrastructure and respect for international maritime rules and standards.
We remain determined to hold the enablers of the shadow fleet to account for the support they are providing to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Therefore, the Expert Group will continue to meet in order to take forward concrete measures such as the Stockholm Pledge, as agreed during this meeting: to keep up the pressure on Russia, including through sanctions listings of vessels, as well as joint efforts on reinforced outreach to relevant flag states and key actors.
We will further develop our common efforts within relevant international forums, including the International Maritime Organization in particular, and deepen our collective information-sharing practices to improve our joint situational awareness.