Bridging Waters Guest Paper Series: Efforts to Lift the EU’s Yellow Card: Assessing Vietnam’s Legal Response to IUU Fishing
In a new HCSS guest paper, Pham Ngoc Minh Trang examines how Vietnam’s long-running EU IUU “yellow card” — driven by gaps in vessel monitoring, enforcement, and traceability — continues to carry economic and reputational costs despite significant post-2017 legal reforms. As key shortcomings persist, especially in monitoring small-scale vessels and ensuring continuous VMS transmission, the paper outlines where EU–Vietnam cooperation remains essential. It highlights how European expertise and joint initiatives — from legal dialogue and VMS anomaly training to pilot tracking programmes — can help close remaining capacity gaps, support sustainable fisheries governance, and advance Vietnam’s compliance efforts in the South China Sea context.
Bridging Waters Guest Paper Series: EU-Philippines Cooperative Maritime Measures
In a new HCSS guest paper, Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby examines how the South China Sea’s highly contested maritime space is becoming more complex as geopolitical tensions rise and environmental pressures deepen. As Europe and the Philippines expand cooperation in information sharing, capacity building, and maritime domain awareness, the paper highlights remaining challenges and shows how dual-use technologies can help close the gap between existing commitments and operational needs.
Bridging Waters: Strengthening Europe’s Maritime Security Engagement Through Partnerships with Rising Middle Powers
In a new report ‘Bridging Waters: Strengthening Europe’s Maritime Security Engagement Through Partnerships with Rising Middle Powers,’ Benedetta Girardi and Pieter-Jan Vandoren explore how Europe can strengthen maritime security in the South China Sea and Red Sea through cooperation with rising middle powers. The study outlines urgent threats, identifies high-value preventive and responsive measures, and presents an actionable agenda for European policymakers.
