The European Commission and the European External Action Service joined forces to write the security plan earlier this year. Today, the European Community Shipowners Association asked lawmakers to endorse the plan, but also called for a lively discussion on maritime security and how it can be improved.

　　Though the number of piracy attacks off the Somali coast has declined, the ECSA said the drop is deceiving. There have been 86 interventions by the European Union Naval Force in Somalia since May 2009. Naval ships escort carriers past danger spots, and some ships even hire private security. But, the ECSA said,  the issues are not evolving at sea.

　　“Until a permanent solution is found on land, efforts by the shipping industry and the international community only address the symptoms and not the root causes of piracy,” the ECSA said in itsposition paper on maritime security, released this week. “The number of interventions by naval forces clearly shows that the work is not yet done.”

　　Moreover, the ECSA noted more widespread attacks that aren’t in the eastern Africa hot spots. The Ocean Beyond Piracy State of Maritime Piracy report for 2013 estimates 100 piracy attacks in 2013, which took place off the coast of several western African countries, the paper said. The ECAS called for “swift action” from the European Union.

　　The ECSA said it would like the European Union lawmakers to take synergy into account to make sure implementation is simple and works to complement existing security measures. Different countries should engage in information sharing, the ECSA said, to streamline efforts to keep the maritime community safe.

　　With the ECSA at the table, the group believes it could reduce redundancies in policy that would cost carriers both time and money.

　　“These performance changes could suppress overall demand for shipping and /or increase costs unnecessarily, and change the relative attractiveness of shipping services to importers, exporters and cargo carriers,” the ECSA said. “Efforts should be made to ensure that security requirements do not adversely affect the positive modal shift to maritime.”

　　The International Maritime Bureau reported the lowest number of piracy claims since 2007 in the first quarter of 2014. The IMB reported 49 piracy incidents were recorded in the first three months of 2014. Two vessels were hijacked, 37 ships were boarded, five were fired upon, and five attempts of attacks were reported, the IMB said. It also said 46 crewmembers were taken hostage and two kidnapped from their vessel.