A diplomatic and geopolitical bombshell was dropped by Russian media, which report that the opposition in Greece plans to appeal to European judicial authorities and the European Parliament due to the arbitrary detention of Russian ships or tankers allegedly linked to Russia by the IRINI mission, according to a report by Gazeta.ru on August 27.
Indeed, newspaper Izvestia cites statements made in the Hellenic Parliament by the president of Greek Solution, Kyriakos Velopoulos, regarding the burning issue of boardings on Russian tankers.
He noted that his parliamentary group will not tolerate such actions and will unequivocally condemn them in the Greek and European parliaments, as well as before other competent judicial bodies of Greece and Europe.
Velopoulos underscored that this does not only concern ships flying the Russian flag, but also tankers operating on behalf of the Russian side.
«Boarding Russian tankers is equivalent to piracy»
The Macedonian politician considers that such actions are equivalent to piracy on the high seas, while they may escalate tensions and endanger maritime safety, as well as the commercial interests of Greece and other EU member states.
IRINI (from the Greek word «peace») is a military naval operation of the European Union in the Mediterranean Sea.
It was launched on March 31, 2020, with headquarters in Rome.
Until this summer, the mission mandate included only monitoring compliance with the UN arms embargo on Libya and gathering information regarding illicit oil exports.
However, on June 8, the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas stated that Operation IRINI altered its rules of engagement and began inspecting foreign vessels suspected of transporting Russian oil.
Previously, Lavrov revealed Russia's actions following statements by Putin regarding the response to the seizure of vessels.
The EU expands the role of Operation «Irini»
As the article reports, the European Union is stepping up efforts to curb Russian trade. In June, at the initiative of the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas, the responsibilities of Operation Irini, which has been operating in the Mediterranean since 2020 with the mission of monitoring the UN arms embargo on Libya, were amended.
According to the Russian newspaper, the new powers are now also being used to identify ships that, in the assessment of Brussels, serve Russian interests. The inspection of the Cameroon-flagged ship Tao Payoh in early August is cited as an example, in which Italian forces took part with the assistance of a Polish aircraft and a Greek patrol boat.
«Legal ambiguities» in ship inspections
As the report notes, any ship not registered in a European Union or G7 country and lacking Western insurance coverage can be considered suspicious.
Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser told Izvestia that the lack of a clear legal framework could create friction not only with Russia, but also in EU relations with third countries.
Scenarios of appeal to the European Court
According to the analysis published by the Russian newspaper, the Greek opposition could file an appeal with the Court of Justice of the European Union via a complaint to the European Parliament, either independently or jointly with Greek shipowners whose interests may be affected.
Another option would be an appeal to a national authority, which could then refer the case to the European Court.
Yegor Sergeyev, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Studies of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), estimated that the prospects for such a legal move remain uncertain, despite Athens' economic interests.
As he noted, anti-Russian sentiment dominates the European Parliament, making the debate over the mission mandate more of a tool for political pressure and publicity rather than a decision-making mechanism.
«It cannot seize ships on the high seas»
For his part, Pavel Anisimov, deputy director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at the Russian State University for the Humanities, argued that although Operation Irini has the right to inspect suspicious vessels, its ability to detain or seize them is extremely limited.
According to him, the fact that a tanker is under European Union sanctions does not automatically give the mission a general right to immobilize it on the high seas.
Consequently, any attempt at direct ship seizure would, in his assessment, be unlawful.
The repercussions for Greek shipping
The report contends that ship inspections and detentions significantly increase war risk insurance costs for Greek shipowners, reducing the competitiveness of the Greek fleet compared to Asian shipping companies.
According to cited data, insurance premiums for certain routes rose from about 0.3% of the ship value to rates above 1%, and in some cases even reached 3%.
Greece accounts for approximately 60% of the commercial fleet of the European Union, while Greek shipowners maintain a strong presence in the transport of energy cargoes, including Russian products.
The report also recalls that Athens secured an exemption from the 21st package of EU sanctions regarding the ban on transporting Russian LNG to third countries.
Cyprus and Malta maintain reservations
According to Izvestia, both Cyprus and Malta have warned in the past that further tightening of sanctions against Russia could harm legitimate shipowners and burden the shipping industry.
For this reason, they may also take a cautious approach to the issue of ship inspections or detentions.
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