Brussels - The European Union's executive is keen to help fight piracy in the Straits of Malacca and the waters of Singapore, the bloc's maritime-affairs commissioner told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on Wednesday.

The European Commission "is currently looking at how it can address security issues more broadly, not only in the Horn of Africa region, but also in the Straits of Malacca and off Singapore, where we want to help build on recent successes in reducing the incidence of piracy," Joe Borg told dpa.

In December, the EU launched its first-ever naval operation to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia. Operation Atalanta currently consists of five frigates - one each from Greece, Britain, France, Germany and Spain - whose main task is to escort ships of the World Food Programme through Somali waters.

Borg said that the mission gave the EU a "leading role" in the fight against piracy, but added that more needed to be done.

"It has to be stressed that the only long-lasting solution to the problem of piracy off the Somali coasts lies through the re- establishment of order on land, and through addressing the root causes of the situation," he said.

Under the EU's strict division of powers, the commission has little authority over defence issues, which are left to member states.

But Borg suggested that the Brussels-based executive could play a role in other ways - for example, in the realm of surveillance.

"Maritime surveillance is an area which is now developing rapidly and will contribute to protecting critical maritime routes in the future," he pointed out. (dpa)