Overview
- The Bundesfinanzhof blocked, for now, the customs plan to seize and sell the sanctioned tanker and its cargo, upholding an earlier injunction by the Finanzgericht Greifswald.
- Judges cited doubts over whether EU rules on ‘bringing’ goods into the Union cover a powerless ship that drifted in, and pointed to safe-harbor and peaceful-passage protections under international law.
- The Eventin has carried about 100,000 tonnes of oil while anchored off Rügen since a January systems failure left it adrift en route from Russia toward India.
- The owner, Laliya Shipping Corp. of the Marshall Islands, is also contesting the vessel’s EU shadow‑fleet listing, part of a roster now reported at more than 550 ships.
- Local officials and NGOs warn of spill risks and press for offloading, as authorities say the current anchorage is the safest available and the finance ministry weighs next legal steps toward a main proceeding.