A symposium on an EU-wide comprehensive approach against piracy, organized by Spanish Presidency and EP, takes place in the European Parliament in Brussels. Opening by Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence.

Brussels

EU - Somalia (T)

speech

symposium

maritime safety (T)

CHACON PIQUERAS, Carme (ES)

EU-wide comprehensive approach against piracy: opening speech by Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, As you know up to 17 vessels have been hijacked by pirates in Somalia and at this point more than 400 people are in the hands of criminals who have made hijacking and kidnapping the most profitable businesses in this part of Africa. In addition to the 400 hostages there are 3 million Somalis whose lives are also been threaten by piracy; they are also hostages, as their lives depend on the arrival of World Food Programme vessels. Criminal groups also endanger economic and fishery activities of many countries, more than 16 thousand vessels go through this threat in this area, and that represents 20% of world trade. Furthermore there is a threat of this phenomenon to spread elsewhere in Africa and it seems ever clearer that there is a link between business piracies is Somalia and the terrorists groups, such Al-Quaeda, in the region.'

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, Solution to piracy requires an integral, holistic approach; military measures need to be but in place but certainly legal measures need to be far more efficient than they are right now. We need maritime political measures as well as development aid.

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, The EU has to play a key role; it is a unique actor at the international stage and has all the necessary mechanisms in its hands to take this holistic approach...

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, Over the last 4 months of 'Operation Atalanta' 50 armed groups have been arrested and more than 500 pirates have been put under arrest. We've catch or neutralised 117 skiffs and vessels that were being used as mother-ships...

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, For the next period Spain will be sending the 'Galicia-class vessel' to participate in operation Atalanta, it contains 4 motorboats and 4 helicopters which allow us to boost our monitoring and vigilance of ports and basis from which we know the skiffs and mother-ships are leaving to assist the pirates.

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, When the weather is good, after the monsoons, there is an increase in attacks to all kind of vessels, particularly to the weakest ones, fishing and commercial vessels; so we will be sending this 'Amphibium' vessel and this high-sea patrol vessel.

SOUNDBITE (in Spanish) Carme CHACON PIQUERAS, Spanish Minister of Defence, We need a political solution for Somalia and that means a coordinated effort in order to pacify and re-build Somalia, as well as to help in getting a Somali government back on its feet.