EU member states are to share a database of ships believed to be involved in criminal activity after taking on board the idea first proposed by Malta. Last year, Malta suggested the setting up of a single database of vessels involved in illicit activities to help countries make informed decisions about whether they should flag or reflag ships. At present, this information is not always shared between countries, making it difficult for law enforcement and regulators to stop suspected criminal ships from sailing out of their ports. Malta’s idea would make it easier for countries to clamp down on criminal activity at sea as it would be simpler for them to identify offenders taking advantage of loopholes in international maritime law to license their vessels.