Luxembourg, 12/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - During the evening of Friday 9 October, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini hailed the United Nations Security Council's adoption earlier that day of a resolution against the trafficking of migrants and the smuggling of people at sea in the Mediterranean. The resolution “represents a significant political approval of EUNAVFOR Med-Sophia and its objectives by the international community”.
The EUNAVFOR Med operation moved on to phase II on 7 October (see EUROPE 11405). This new phase comprises boarding, searching, seizing and turning back boats at sea that are suspected of being used for smuggling or trafficking human beings. From a legal viewpoint, the European Union did not need this UN resolution, but some EU member states did need it, however, to be able to make their vessels available. Under Chapter 7 of the resolution, the Security Council authorises the relevant member states to inspect boats sailing in high seas off the Libyan coast “for a year”, if the member states have reasonable cause to suspect that the boats are being used for migrant trafficking or human smuggling. The text, adopted by 14 votes in favour and one abstention, does not authorise the European Union to intervene in Libyan territorial waters.
“We will continue to cooperate closely with the UN and the countries concerned in order to ensure the continued success of EUNAVFOR Med”, Mogherini said, stating that since being launched, the operation has been in regular contact with the UN and has respected international law. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)