Cruise Ships Prohibited from Calling Crimea Peninsula
A minor part of the EU sanctions concerns shipping where cruise ships are prohibited from calling at the Crimea peninsula
A general prohibition has been introduced against services related to tourism activities in Crimea and Sevastopol, the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) noted in a press release.
The prohibition, which applies only to cruise ships associated with an EU Member State, including ships flying the flag of an EU Member State, ships owned and operated by an EU shipowner and ships under the overall responsibility of an EU operator, means cruise ships must not call at or enter into Sevastopol, Kerch, Yalta, Theodosia, Evpatoria, Chernomorsk and Kamysh-Burun.
Exceptions can be made in case of emergencies, however. Cruise ships are permitted to call at or enter into ports on the Crimea peninsula when it is possible to justify this as being for reasons of navigational safety. A report to the relevant EU Member State maritime authority must be submitted within five working days after the call if this exception is used.
The prohibition against port calls became effective in December 2014. The provisions can be found in Council Regulation no. 1351/2014 of December 18, 2014 amending regulation no. 692/2014 concerning restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.