The EU Council extended on Monday the mandate of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military operation in the Mediterranean, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, until March 31, 2025. 

The decision was taken in the wake of a strategic review of the operation carried out by it's Political and Security Committee it said in a statement.

 In this context, the Council decided that the disposal of arms and related materiel seized by the operation should be further facilitated.

€16,921,000 has been allocated for costs for the period from April 1, 2023 until March 31, 2025.

EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (Greek for ‘peace’) was launched on March 31, 2020.

The operation's core task is to contribute to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya, established by the UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011), through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets. 

The mission is mandated to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the Libyan coast suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in violation of the arms embargo on Libya. It does this in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2292 (2016) and subsequent UNSC resolutions.

In addition, Operation IRINI monitors violations perpetrated via aerial and land route and shares the information collected with the United Nations.

IRINI is also mandated to monitor and gather information on illicit exports from Libya of petroleum, crude oil and refined petroleum product, contribute to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy, contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by planes.

IRINI is led by Rear Admiral Stefano Turchetto as EU Operation Commander, and is headquartered in Rome.