Submarine cables and pipelines are vitally important for energy supply, global communications and economic activity. But several recent high-profile incidents have exposed their vulnerability to deliberate damage from state and non-state actors. In April 2021, Norway reported that several kilometres of its fibreoptic cables disappeared from the Svalbard archipelago, leaving Norway unable to monitor submarine activity in the region. These cables formed part of an extensive network of high-tech cables and sensors used for scientific research and maritime surveillance. Better known, on 26 September 2022, a series of explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, which were built to transport gas from Russia to Germany. While suspicions initially fell on Russia, Dutch intelligence suggest that the explosion was caused by experienced divers belonging to a ‘pro-Ukrainian group’.
the Return Directive in conjunction with the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not oblige EU Member States to grant a right to remain to irregularly staying migrants’ – Go Health Pro
Alan Desmond, University of Leicester Kevin Fredy Hinterberger, Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour Photo credit: Luxufluxo, via Wikimedia Commons Introduction The 2008 Return Directive sets out common standards and procedures for removal of irregularly staying third-country nationals (TCNs) by all EU Member States, except for Ireland and Denmark, and by the four … Read more
