According to reports[1], the Turkish authorities have announced a massive 406% increase in the Bosporus passage toll as of 7 October 2022. This comes after an announcement by the Turkish Ministry of Infrastructure in 2021 that the number of vessels passing through the Bosporus Strait had increased to 38 551.

Such a sudden and unjustified toll increase will disrupt the proper functioning of both shipping and international trade, causing problems for all categories of vessels, in particular those that frequently take this route, significantly affecting the free movement of goods through Bosporus.

Notwithstanding the Turkish President’s plans to build an alternative waterway route, the Istanbul Canal, this toll hike is not in line with the spirit of good neighbourliness and was decided without consultation of commercial and maritime stakeholders, merely serving to justify the concerns raised in the European Parliament report on Turkey last June.

In view of this:

• Can the Commission say what ad hoc measures it will take in response to this unjustified toll increase in order to protect European shipping?
• How does it plan to restabilise conditions for trade, which is the exclusive responsibility of the EU, and for the unimpeded passage of shipping through the Bosporus Strait?

Check here the answer given by Ms Vălean on behalf of the European Commission.