EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL EXTENDS THE MANDATE OF OPERATION IRINI UNTIL 2027
On 11th March 2025, the EU Council extended the mandate of the EUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI by two years, until 31 March 2027. The decision was taken on the basis of the positive outcome of the Strategic Review carried out by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Political and Security Committee (PSC).
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, launched in 2020 as a concrete European Union contribution to support the peace and stability process in Libya, is a military maritime security operation deployed in the Mediterranean Sea under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) as a part of the EU’s integrated approach to crisis management.
The core task of the Operation remains the implementation of the arms embargo imposed on Libya by United Nations Security Council though UNSCRs 1970 (2011), 2292 (2016) and subsequent. EUNAVFOR MED IRINI will continue to support the peace process in Libya through Counter Illegal Arms Trafficking (CIAT), conducted through the inspection of suspicious vessels, the monitoring of illegal behavior and the collection and exploitation of information, while maintaining a significant deterrent effect in the area of operation.
As secondary tasks, Operation IRINI will continue to conduct monitoring and gathering information on oil smuggling (GIOS), contribute to the disruption of the human smuggling business model (HSBM) and provide Capacity Building and Training (CB&T) initiatives to the relevant Libyan institutions responsible for law enforcement and for search and rescue (SAR) at sea.
Moreover, EU Council decided to add a new task to the mandate of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI to improve Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) in the area of operation by counteracting further potentially illegal activities and gathering information useful for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and contingency planning. The new MSA task, in line with the EU’s Strategic Compass, aims to enhance Operation IRINI’s capacity to collect and share information, foster cooperation and contribute to safeguarding the EU’s interest in the Mediterranean Sea.
The renewal of the mandate underlines the importance of the results achieved by Operation IRINI and the strong will and cohesion of the Member States to ensure an efficacious presence and control in an area of strategic importance for European interests such as the Mediterranean.
