08/12/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 8 December, the ambassadors of the EU's Political and Security Committee appointed Günther Freisleben as the new head of the EU border assistance mission, EU BAM Rafah. Freisleben, a high-ranking German police official, succeeds Italian national Natalina Cea who had held the post between 1 July 2015 and 14 September 2017. The mission was established in 2005 to help the Palestinian Authority have effective control at Rafah, but it has been on hold since 2007. However, with the agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas on the control of crossing points, the EU is now considering a redeployment of the mission. EUBAM Rafah's current mandate runs until 30 June 2018 and its budget for the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 is €1.98 million. (CG)