Members of the European Parliament have adopted a resolution urging the European Union and its member states to consider a naval operation in the Black Sea, following attacks on civilian merchant vessels and security concerns in waters off Bulgaria and Romania.
The measure passed on 22 October by 432 votes to 52, with 88 abstentions. It is a parliamentary call for action rather than a decision to send ships or establish a new mission. The resolution does not announce a deployment, set a timetable or identify forces that would take part.
A proposal, not a deployment decision
MEPs said an EU naval operation should be considered in the context of freedom of navigation and maritime security. They linked those issues to the security of NATO’s eastern flank, the Black Sea region and the Danube delta.
The resolution followed what MEPs described as deadly strikes against civilian merchant vessels off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania, alongside repeated violations of Romanian airspace. In the text, MEPs held Russia responsible for attacks on civilian vessels and for escalating the war against Ukraine into the western Black Sea. That assessment is the Parliament’s position in the resolution.
The motion also praised Romanian and Bulgarian maritime rescue services, border police and merchant vessels that assisted ships. It criticised what MEPs described as an ambiguous response by the Bulgarian government to the Russian threat, while calling for closer regional cooperation between Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye.
Focus on drones and maritime security
Alongside the proposed naval operation, the resolution asks EU countries, working with NATO, to give Bulgaria and Romania more support for the early detection and tracking of hostile drones that could threaten Black Sea shipping. It also calls on Bulgaria to take part without further delay in NATO’s initiative on lower-level air threats.
MEPs urged the EU to put its planned Black Sea maritime security hub into operation quickly. The initiative is intended to strengthen maritime safety and security, protect critical infrastructure and help safeguard the marine environment. The resolution also says unspent EU funds from the SAFE instrument should be considered as part of the response to challenges facing Romania and Bulgaria.
Another part of the measure calls for stronger protection and resilience for submarine telecommunications, electricity-transmission and data-cable projects. It points to maritime surveillance, regional cooperation and rapid-response mechanisms as areas requiring attention.
Why the Black Sea matters
The Black Sea remains an important route for Ukrainian agricultural exports, including grain. The resolution places the security discussion within the wider risks facing shipping and maritime infrastructure in the region, rather than treating a naval operation as an agreed response.
It also asks NATO to consider a Black Sea initiative, building on discussions about a possible Black Sea Sentry. The resolution’s requests now require consideration by the institutions and member states addressed in the text. No EU naval operation has been authorised by the parliamentary vote itself.
The text does not set out a command structure, ship numbers, funding allocation or start date for an operation. Its immediate significance is therefore the political request from MEPs, alongside specific calls for better drone detection, stronger surveillance and quicker work on the planned security hub.
