The ngo Sea-Watch has started legal proceedings against the Dutch State. The reason is new rules that have entered into force on April 3rd, 2019, which make it impossible for the organisation to pursue her mission. The organisation owns a boat, with which she navigates the Mediterranean Sea to report about human right violations and, if needed, rescue people in distress at sea. The new rules require the ship to fulfil far-reaching safety and certification requirements with immediate effect. As a result, the ship is not allowed to sail at the moment. Sea-Watch is of the opinion that this was the aim with which the new rules have been introduced, not the safeguarding of safety at sea. In the legal proceedings Sea-Watch challenges the validity of the new rules.
Sea-Watch is represented in these proceedings by Lisa-Marie Komp.
For news items about these proceedings (in Dutch) see:
Nieuwsuur, ‘Nieuwe regels voor Sea Watch verdelen coalitie’, 24 april 2019
Trouw, ‘Minister van Nieuwenhuizen: Geen coulance voor reddingsschip Sea Watch 3’, 23 april 2019