14 January 2025
1. We, the Heads of State or Government of Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, have met today in
Helsinki, in the presence of the Secretary General of NATO and the
Executive Vice President of the European Commission, to address the
recent increase in serious incidents damaging critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea […]
9. Together, we will identify further measures in accordance with international law of the sea, including the freedom of navigation, to prevent and effectively respond to willful damaging of critical undersea
infrastructure or irresponsible behaviour. Such behaviour interferes, inter alia, with the freedom to lay cables and pipelines and poses a significant risk to the marine environment. We will also take actions
for accountability and stronger enforcement against those responsible for damaging undersea infrastructure, including compensation for damage. […]
13. We are taking robust steps to address these threats. We reserve our rights, in accordance with international law, to take action against any suspected vessels that circumvent sanctions and threaten our security, infrastructure and the environment. In close coastal state co-operation, we are increasing surveillance of the vessels, including the inspections of vessel insurance certificates. Additionally, further measures, including the introduction of tracking tools and the extension of sanctions targeting the shadow fleet, will be put into practice. We encourage further EU-NATO cooperation in responding to the threats caused by the reckless activities of vessels serving Russian cargo flow.