Brussels: The European Union will take its fight against pirates to Somalia, as it assumes leadership of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia from the 1 January 2014.
"Pirate attacks over the past year have dropped by 95%, but the fight against piracy is not yet won. It is vital that the international community continues to work together to stamp out piracy and consolidate the gains we have already made," said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was established on 14 January 2009 by UN Security Council Resolution 1851 (2008) to facilitate the actions among more than 60 states and organisations to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Since its creation, the CGPCS has reduced the number of pirate attacks and hijackings, according to the EC.
The number of hostages has gone down from more than 700 in 2011 to around 50 today, off Somalia. [24/12/13]
