The Commission is preparing a strategy for unexploded ordnance in the seas, with the Baltic Sea as the first area targeted and the Black Sea to follow at a later stage

The European Commission is preparing a strategy for unexploded ordnance located in European seas, which would establish how these risks can be identified, monitored, and remediated. Iglika Yakova, Deputy Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, DG MARE, told the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence that the work focuses particularly on vulnerable sea basins, starting with the Baltic Sea, with the Black Sea to be addressed at a later stage.

In briefThe Commission is preparing a European strategy on unexploded ordnance lying on the seabed and remediation measures.

Iglika Yakova identified the Baltic Sea as one of the most vulnerable areas and said that the Black Sea would have to be addressed later.

The strategy is under preparation. The Commission has not announced a budget, a demining operation, or a separate timetable for the Black Sea in SEDE.

The EU Maritime Security Strategy already includes the elimination of risks caused by unexploded ordnance and mines among the areas in which the Union must act.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has added naval mines and other threats in the Black Sea, on top of the existing historical problems in other European sea basins.

Yakova presented the initiative during a SEDE debate on European maritime security, ocean monitoring, and the protection of maritime infrastructure. She said that the European executive is preparing a dedicated strategy for unexploded ordnance and its remediation and linked this work to the need for a differentiated approach for sea basins where risks are greatest.

The wording used by the DG MARE representative is important for understanding the initiative’s stage. The Commission has not announced a new operational demining mission or a funded European programme for removing ordnance from the Black Sea. This concerns a strategy under preparation, which must establish how the EU can coordinate risk assessment, monitoring, and any remediation measures.

The problem is not new to Europe. Large quantities of conventional ammunition, chemical ammunition, and other hazardous materials remained in certain European seas after the First and Second World Wars. In some areas, the exact location, quantity, and condition of these materials are not fully documented, complicating risk assessment.

Unexploded ordnance can affect several activities at the same time. It poses a danger to navigation and crews, can affect fisheries and marine ecosystems, and complicates the installation or maintenance of offshore infrastructure, including submarine cables, pipelines, and energy facilities.

The revised EU Maritime Security Strategy explicitly treats unexploded ordnance and mines as a risk that must be managed. The European framework provides for improving maritime situational awareness, protecting critical infrastructure, and developing tools through which states and European institutions can identify and reduce risks in the marine environment.

The Baltic Sea is a special case because of the quantities of historical ordnance deposited or abandoned after the world wars. Chemical ammunition is also present in some areas, and the progressive deterioration of containers and shells may create additional risks for the marine environment and economic activities.

Yakova said that the strategy under preparation must look precisely at such vulnerable basins and mentioned the Baltic Sea before the Black Sea. The statement does not, however, establish that the Black Sea would enter a programme on a specific date, nor that geographical prioritisation has already been formally adopted. It describes the direction of work envisaged by the Commission’s services.

For the Black Sea, the problem is different in nature. In addition to potential historical risks, Russia’s war against Ukraine has led to the appearance of naval mines and other ordnance associated with the conflict. The Council of the EU explicitly notes that the war has aggravated the problem of unexploded ordnance in Europe through the presence of mines in the Black Sea.

This means that remediation is not merely an environmental or post-conflict cleanup issue. Mines and unexploded ordnance affect the freedom and safety of navigation, port activity and commercial transport, as well as the safe use of maritime infrastructure.

The strategy on unexploded ordnance forms part of a broader European framework. The EU Maritime Security Strategy, revised in 2023, includes the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, improved surveillance, cooperation with NATO and international partners, and responses to hybrid and security threats affecting the maritime domain.

At the same SEDE hearing, representatives of the Commission and the European External Action Service also discussed the development of European ocean observation and monitoring capacity. Ocean Eye is presented as a tool for bringing together information about what is happening at sea and for providing a more coherent picture to the authorities responsible for responding to incidents.

The initiative should not, however, be confused with the strategy for unexploded ordnance. Ocean Eye concerns broader observation and maritime situational awareness, while the new strategy mentioned by Yakova would focus on a specific category of risk and on remediation measures.

The Commission and the High Representative must also present the 2026 progress report on the implementation of the EU Maritime Security Strategy. The European framework provides for this assessment three years after the Council approved the revised strategy, and the report is expected to inform the next stage of implementation.

Yakova indicated in SEDE that the report on the implementation of the maritime security strategy was due to be presented and adopted in October, after which the Council presidency was to prepare conclusions. The statement places the discussion on unexploded ordnance within a broader process of updating how the EU addresses maritime threats.

For the Black Sea, the next element to monitor is the concrete form of the strategy and how the Commission defines its geographical scope, responsibilities, technical tools, and funding sources. For now, the announcement in Parliament confirms the inclusion of the Black Sea in the Commission’s working perspective, but it does not yet constitute a decision on a European demining operation.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/comisia-pregateste-o-strategie-pentru-munitiile-neexplodate-din-mari-cu-marea-baltica-prima-zona-vizata-si-marea-neagra-in-etapa-urmatoare