Against all expectations, the Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States agreed, on Monday 17 February, on a naval mission to monitor the arms embargo on Libya (see EUROPE 12426/8).
"We agreed to launch a new operation in the Mediterranean (...), as a goal to implement the arms embargo", announced the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, at the end of the ‘Foreign Affairs’ EU Council.
"It will be a completely new mission, a new operational area, a new mandate with a clear focus on the arms embargo and clear safeguards against misuse by human traffickers", summarised Austrian Minister Alexander Schallenberg, whose country was opposed to the return of ships to Operation Sophia, which he described as a "humanitarian" operation.
The new mission, whose name has yet to be defined, will replace Sophia, which will end on 31 March. It would be "based on the routes of those who send arms to Libya, and therefore in the eastern Mediterranean", German Minister Heiko Maas said. The mission will focus on international waters under the UN resolution that mandated Sophia to monitor the arms embargo.
This mission should benefit from aerial, satellite and maritime assets. "No shortage of countries volunteering to contribute. I don't think we will run out of resources", the High Representative announced, without being more specific.
"Initially, the focus will be on airspace surveillance", Schallenberg said. According to his Italian counterpart, Luigi di Maio, this mission could also include the possibility of forces on the ground.
In order to avoid any risk of a ‘pull’ effect for migrants, with the return of ships at sea, safeguards will be put in place. In the event of the observation of a ‘pull’ effect, the ships could be withdrawn from the zones in question following a discussion in the Political and Security Committee, according to Luxembourg Minister Jean Asselborn. "If the smugglers take advantage of this situation again, the maritime elements will be removed immediately", warned his Austrian counterpart. The port of disembarkation for migrants who could be rescued at sea by mission vessels has yet to be defined.
Traffic monitoring tasks and coastguard training should be maintained under the mandate of the new operation.
"Now it's a matter of determining the details of the mission", Maas said. While the ministers have reached a political agreement, it must now be legally shaped for the next Foreign Affairs EU Council, scheduled for 23 March. Several national parliaments, such as the German and Swedish ones, will have to give their approval.
"We need to move forward quickly", the High Representative said. He hoped that the mission would be operational by the end of March. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Agathe Cherki)