The European Union Maritime Security Strategy: sailing uncharted waters?

On 24 June 2014 the General Affairs Council of the European Union approved the 'European Union Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS), following the mandate by EU Heads of State or Government in their ‘Defence Summit’ in December 2013 and building on the Joint Communication 'For An Open and Secure Global Maritime Domain' by the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in March 2014. These documents come at a time of considerable transformations in ‘the world’s last global common’: the sea.