At a time when some UN member states, which have not signed or ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the legal framework that guarantees freedom of navigation and prohibits tolls for transit through international straits (UNCLOS), are beginning to restrict and even monetize access to essential maritime routes, Europe needs a common naval force, states an article published by the Euractiv website. According to the cited source, the idea has begun to take shape in Western