The European External Action Service (EEAS) recommends, in a working document obtained by EUROPE on 7 December, that operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI should be extended for two years, until 31 March 2023, and that it should be given two additional objectives.
In this document, which will be discussed by the Member States' ambassadors to the Political and Security Committee on 15 December, the EEAS explains that extending the mandate for more than a year “would send a strong signal as to the EU's willingness to remain engaged in supporting the Berlin Process and the Libyan coastguard and navy” and “would allow for greater efficiency in the generation of scarce naval forces, assets and personnel”.
The diplomatic service also wants to include two strategic objectives in the mandate of the operation. The first is support for the Berlin process through the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya and measures to prevent the illicit export of petroleum from Libya. Contributing to the overarching EU integrated capacity building process in Libya by supporting the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy in the development of their tasks and responsibilities is the second objective.
The EEAS also states that challenges remain to be addressed if the potential of the operation is to be fully exploited in the near future. These challenges include the designation of at least two ports of diversion for the implementation of the arms embargo. Currently, the operation has only one port of diversion: Marseille in France.
The diplomatic service also recalls that Member States must ensure that the necessary forces in terms of means and personnel are built up and that there is sufficient actionable intelligence to maintain Full Operational Capacity.
It also considers that an information and communication strategy should be developed as soon as possible “to tackle disinformation and negative perceptions of operation IRINI”. Finally, according to the EEAS, the EU and its Member States should reinforce and complementIRINI’s actions through the “ continued and targeted” use of sanctions against individuals and companies involved in violating the arms embargo.
The EEAS also explains that the latest developments on the ground provide an opportunity to consider a possible transition or exit strategy if “the political and security conditions are so difficult that the operation is unable to function effectively and/or the threat to the security of its personnel is unacceptable or the desired end-state has been reached”. In its opinion, the mission could be transferred to the Libyan authorities, to a third party, such as the UN or the African Union, or to another EU instrument. The solution could also be a mixed one. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)