Bloomberg: EU hoping to prevent Russian oil transfers at sea

The European Union has proposed banning vessels from entering its ports that help Russia evade sanctions and price caps with cargo transfers at sea, Bloomberg reported on May 8.

All EU member states would need to support the proposal in order for it to come into force.

According to Bloomberg, the EU cited a "sharp increase in deceptive practices, and related environmental risks" as a reason for the proposed ban.

Ship-to-ship transfers have been "pivotal" for Russia in circumventing bans, Bloomberg wrote, with the country passing on ships from its "huge fleet" that are more than 20 years old to newly-formed companies that continue to use them.

Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa, is one of the "focal points" for these transfers.

Local shipping firms were reminded by Spain in early February that assisting in this activity may result in breaching sanctions, according to Bloomberg.