Future of the damaged oil tanker Eventin” uncertain – negotiations are ongoing!

Future of the damaged oil tanker Eventin” uncertain – negotiations are ongoing!

The legal proceedings surrounding the damaged oil tanker “Eventin” off Rügen remain exciting. The customs authorities have lodged a complaint with the Federal Finance Court against a decision by the Greifswald Finance Court, which suspended the immediate confiscation of the ship and its cargo in May. The outcome of this complaint and the associated hearing dates are currently uncertain. The owner of the tanker had previously submitted an application to suspend enforcement, but this did not lead to a final clarification of the legal situation.

The “Eventin”, which sails under the Panama flag, is still in the Baltic Sea. It was confiscated by customs authorities in March after the ship became unable to maneuver in January. In this condition, the tanker, which is loaded with around 100,000 tons of Russian oil and whose value is estimated at around 40 million euros, was floating in the Baltic Sea. Mario Späth from the Main Customs Office (HZA) emphasizes that the customs authorities are actively in contact with their members when it comes to supplying the crew.

Background to the legal situation

The Greifswald Finance Court has temporarily suspended the confiscation order that resulted in the ship being transferred into German ownership. This means that the federal government cannot take any action regarding the ship, such as pumping out the oil or selling it, until the tax court has decided. The legal situation is tense because there are doubts in the ongoing objection proceedings at the HZA as to whether the ship owner can rely on an exception. However, this examination is only carried out in the main proceedings.

The date for this main proceedings is still pending. The tax court has admitted the complaint as an appeal, so that the HZA can have the decision reviewed by the Federal Finance Court. The confiscation of the tanker and the cargo is of great legal importance, especially since the “Eventin” belongs to the so-called Russian shadow fleet, against which sanctions have been imposed.

Current location of the ship

The tanker “Eventin”, which was on its way from Ust-Luga (Russia) to Port Said (Egypt), is currently anchored off Rügen about three nautical miles from its original berth. The Nordperd roadstead offers suitable conditions for ships carrying dangerous goods, which is crucial given the cargo of around 100,000 tonnes of oil. The Federal Ministry of Finance declared in March that the legal requirements for exploitation had been created, but everything depends on the further course of the process.

The complexity of the situation is reflected not only in the legal challenges, but also in the actual handling of the ship by the authorities.