Various ministries are currently responsible for the North Sea area. That needs to change, say the two coalition partners.
A month ago it was announced that Russia would develop plans to sabotage Western gas pipelines, electricity and internet cables on the seabed. The Russians would like to sabotage crucial infrastructure of NATO countries at sea.
Better security
The Ministry of Defense should be responsible for the North Sea, believe VVD and CDA. Because then Ollongren can actually start making plans for better security.
“The North Sea is a kind of highway of cables, pipelines and other very important infrastructure. We do far too little to protect it,” says CDA MP Krul. “Russian ships are suspiciously often stationary above data cable nodes. They can tap them.”
Explosions
That is why he and his VVD colleague Valstar are asking the cabinet to come up with a strategy for a safer North Sea now. “We have been asking for this for some time and it has not yet been arranged,” says Valstar. “Last year a Russian ship was taken away from a wind farm and we had the explosions at the Nord Stream. I am very concerned about that.”
“Defense should not only make plans,” says Krul. “It has to deploy drones, patrol planes and maybe even ships. The British have specially purchased ships for it.”
Really safe
Valstar also thinks so. “I think it is wise that we sit down with the Norwegians, the British, the Danes and buy and staff equipment together.”
At the same time, he acknowledges that it will take some time before it is really safe in the North Sea. “We should never have the illusion that the North Sea is 100 percent secured, but we must now conclude that it is not sufficiently secured.”
