Five EU member states, including Malta, have urged the European Commission to activate the bloc's civil protection mechanism in response to the environmental threat posed by the drifting Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz.
In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the leaders of Malta, Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus warned that the damaged vessel poses an "imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster" in EU waters.
"The precarious condition of the vessel, combined with the nature of its specialised cargo, gives rise to an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster in the heart of the Union's maritime space," the leaders wrote.
They said that, given the scale and urgency of the situation, activating the EU civil protection mechanism would allow for a coordinated response at Union level, helping to mobilise collective capabilities more quickly and effectively.
"In this context, we look to the European Commission to facilitate the mobilisation and coordination of member states and existing EU-level mechanisms, with the goal of ensuring their more efficient, better coordinated and faster response, including through the operational engagement of the relevant EU agencies, notably the European Maritime Safety Agency," the letter states.
The five countries also highlighted operational difficulties linked to sanctions. While EU rules provide exemptions in cases involving maritime safety and environmental protection, they warned that restrictive measures imposed by other jurisdictions may not offer the same flexibility.
The Arctic Metagaz, identified as part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, was struck earlier this month in what is believed to have been a Ukrainian maritime drone attack, causing an explosion and fire on board. Although all crew members survived, the vessel was left badly damaged and is now drifting without crew while still carrying liquefied natural gas and other fuels. It has drifted further towards Libya in the last hours.
The letter, sent on Malta's initiative, also raised broader concerns over sanctions enforcement and the risks posed by vessels operating outside EU restrictions and international maritime standards.
"The case of the Arctic Metagaz, a documented component of the Russian 'shadow fleet', illustrates how such vessels, through the circumvention of EU restrictive measures and international standards, and the broader impact of incidents affecting maritime traffic in the region pose serious risks to maritime safety, environmental protection, and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean and beyond," the leaders said.
They warned that allowing such practices to continue could expose the EU to serious ecological harm while undermining the credibility and deterrent effect of the sanctions regime.
The leaders said they intend to raise the issue at this week's European Council meeting and expressed readiness to work with the Commission to secure "a swift, European-led resolution".
The letter was co-signed by Prime Minister Robert Abela, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
The letter may be found here