The mandate of the EUNAVFOR MED Irini operation will be extended by 2 years, until 31 March 2023, two European sources announced on Wednesday 17 March (see EUROPE 12622/12). According to one of these two sources, this decision will be taken on Monday 22 March.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, is visiting the mission’s headquarters in Rome on Thursday and will be at the Sigonella base in Italy on Friday, where he will embark on a mission ship to celebrate 1 year of the mission’s activity (EUNAVFOR MED Irini was officially launched on 31 March 2020).
In 1 year, Irini made 2,340 hailings, 94 friendly approaches and eight cargo inspections (three vessels registered in Panama, one in Syria, one in Turkey, one in the Marshall Islands, one in Comoros and one in Antigua and Barbuda). Of these eight inspections, one ship, the Royal Diamond 7, from the Marshall Islands, was redirected for arms embargo violations (see EUROPE 12559/5).
The operation also monitored activities at 16 Libyan ports and port facilities, 25 airports and airstrips and more than 194 suspicious flights. 563 sets of satellite images and analyses were carried out by SatCen.
In total, Irini has submitted 22 special reports to the UN Panel of Experts on Libya concerning violations or possible violations of UN Security Council resolutions on the arms embargo and on the prevention of oil smuggling.
Currently, six aircraft (one Italian, one Polish, one Luxembourg, one German and two—French and Greek—intermittently) and four ships are participating in the operation (the Greek flagship and Italian, French and German ships). According to one European source, new assets could join the mission in the second half of 2021. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)