29/03/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 29 March, the Council of the European Union finally formally adopted the six-month extension of the Eunavfor Med Sophia maritime operation. The mandate of this mission, which aims to fight human smugglers and traffickers in the southern central Mediterranean, was due to end on 31 March and now runs until 30 September 2019. As confirmed by the European External Action Service on 27 March (see EUROPE 12223/19), the naval assets of the operation are suspended for the duration of this extension, a decision recently regretted by the Council of Europe (see EUROPE 12224/26). The EU Council underlined that, as a result, the operation will intensify surveillance by air and strengthen support to Libya for law enforcement operations at sea through increased control, including on land, and the training of the Libyan navy and coastguard. (DG - intern)