In late August, the UK House of Lords EU Committee for External Affairs praised the success of Operation Atalanta in curbing piracy off the Somali coast but say that the operation must be extended beyond it current end date of December 2014 if it is to make a lasting difference in combating the threat.
The Committee say that Operation Atalanta has made clear progress in reducing the number of ships pirated with only eight vessels and 215 hostages held in June 2012 compared with 23 vessels and 501 hostages in the same month in 2011. However the report makes clear that it is vital this effort is extended beyond 2014 to show the EU will not walk away from confronting piracy in the Indian Ocean.
Otherwise organizations and individuals that organize piracy will simply wait out the operation before returning to their previous activities.
The report welcomes the increase in trials and imprisonment of pirates and particularly praises the role played by the Seychelles. However the Committee does express concerns about the policy of transferring sentenced pirates back to Somalia for imprisonment and suggest there is a risk of breakouts. It calls on the EU and UN to work together to monitor pirate prisons. It also says efforts should be made to ensure the imprisonment includes some efforts at rehabilitation as well as punishment, particularly for young pirates.