A. Introduction

38.001 Until recently, one would have been forgiven for thinking that piracy was consigned to the history books. However, the reality in recent years is that piracy has become a very significant issue in various parts of the world, most notably, off Somalia.1 The situation off Somalia has intensified since the mid-2000s. While piracy exists in various parts of the world, it is the situation off Somalia which has caught the attention of the European Union (“EU”) more than any other area. This chapter considers the EU law aspects of piracy.2