Brussels, 29/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - The EU naval operation against human smugglers and traffickers in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) has reached full operational capability, according to a press release on Tuesday 28 July, and is continuing its patrol and observation activities, detecting and gathering information on smuggling networks.
According to Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, moving to the next phase of the operation, which was launched on 22 June (see EUROPE 11340) is not currently being discussed. To move from phase 1 to phase 2, which will involve intercepting vessels on the high seas, a decision by the Council of the EU is required. A high ranking EU official suggested in June that that could happen at the start of September.
Discussions among the member states have shown, however, that a great many believe that a mandate from the United Nations Security Council would be required before beginning the next two phases, in which suspected traffickers' vessels would be boarded and inspected, and perhaps destroyed. Rear-Admiral Andrea Gueglio, who is heading the operation, is expected to be in New York on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July for meetings with members of the Security Council and officials at the United Nations Secretariat General.
At the moment, EUNAVFOR Med has four vessels: the Italian flagship, ITS Cavour, two German vessels, FGS Schleswig-Holstein and FGS Werra, and the UK vessel HMS Enterprise. One French and one Luxembourg plane, two Italian and one UK helicopters have also been deployed in this operation, which is due to run until the end of July 2016. (Jan Kordys and Camille-Cerise Gessant)