Brussels is set to expand its naval mission off Libya into a broader Mediterranean security operation targeting Russia's shadow fleet and threats to critical maritime infrastructure.
The mission, codenamed EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, would be extended until 31 March, 2029, under a draft Council decision obtained by Euronews.
Created in 2020 to enforce the United Nations arms embargo on Libya, the operation would take on a wider role monitoring illicit activity, protecting infrastructure and combating migrant smuggling.
Its current mandate expires in March 2027. The draft would extend it for another two years, with a €16.88 million budget, while significantly broadening its scope.
In June, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the operation had changed its rules of engagement and begun boarding ships suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet.
The revised mandate would explicitly make limiting Russia's shadow fleet one of IRINI's tasks. It says the operation should contribute to that effort while respecting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other international rules.
The text also places greater emphasis on maritime situational awareness, including the detection and monitoring of illicit activities and threats to EU security and economic interests.
The operation would support efforts to protect critical maritime infrastructure, such as fibre-optic cables and subsea pipelines, and would be able to test and pilot new technologies for maritime protection.
IRINI's existing role includes combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking by helping to disrupt the business model of smuggling and trafficking networks.
The revised text specifies that IRINI will support the "detection and monitoring of migrant smuggling and trafficking networks through intelligence gathering and aerial patrols on the high seas" in its approved area of operations.
Enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya and measures against the country's illicit oil exports would remain part of the mandate. The operation would also continue providing capacity-building and training for Libyan maritime law-enforcement and search-and-rescue institutions.
The revised mandate also puts greater emphasis on regional maritime-security cooperation. IRINI would act as a platform for cooperation and use naval diplomacy and exercises to explore opportunities beyond Libya with other interested countries, naming Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon.
EU ambassadors green-lighted the mandate on Wednesday. Formal adoption is expected at the meeting of Economic and Finance Ministers on 9 October, following which it will be published in the EU's official journal.
