Fourteen countries in northern Europe today agreed to reinforce their safety against the Russian “ghost fleet”, which Moscow is accused of using mainly in Baltic Sea The Danish Foreign Ministry announced today to export its oil.

“We have agreed to strengthen our cooperation and to ensure that national authorities are adopting a common and coordinated approach to combating Russia’s ghost fleet,” according to a Danish Foreign Ministry statement.

They are committed to “elaborating a common set of guidelines in accordance with international law to promote responsible behavior at sea, enhance the respect of international law and guarantee the transparency of shipping companies”.

The “ghost fleet” ships allow Moscow export its oil despite sanctions. They are often accused by Europeans of destroying-inadvertent or unintentional-underwater cables, while constituting an environmental threat.

“If ships do not carry a valid flag in the Baltic and North Sea, we will take appropriate measures in accordance with international law,” the countries said in the statement.

These ships do not have the rights provided for by the United Nations Convention on Sea Lawespecially free navigation, they add.

These countries which, in addition to Iceland, are wet by the North Sea and the Baltic are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden.

NATO had announced in January the development of ships, airplanes and unmanned vehicles in the Baltic, after damage to several underwater cables for which Russia is suspected, but this operation requires many human and material resources.

In the face of threats, the North Atlantic Agreement wants to reinforce its fleet of maritime unmanned monitoring vehicles in the Baltic Sea as part of the development of “Task Force X”.