The European Union as a Maritime Security Actor in the Gulf of Guinea: From Its Strategy and Action Plan to the New Concept of “Coordinated Maritime Presences”

Abstract This article analyzes piracy and banditry in the Gulf of Guinea, which in the last two decades have increased and which threaten freedom of navigation and fishing activities in the area. The situation is exacerbated by the absence of minimally effective maritime security in the region, in contrast to other areas of the world such as the Indian Ocean. Coastal states in the region are trying to cooperate to combat piracy and armed robbery in these waters. However, such initiatives are not a sufficient response to the scale of violence at sea. Therefore, actors outside the region, such as the European Union, have initiated action aimed at supporting these efforts and contributing to improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. These initiatives have been channeled through a strategy that includes the coordinated maritime presence of naval forces in this maritime area.