On 7th May, the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union has released the fact sheet of Operation IRINI, which was launched on 1 April 2020. In the document, the purpose of the operation and its general operation are mentioned, as well as the current force composition.
GENERAL:
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI is a concrete and tangible contribution by the European Union, translating calls and statements into action. Named after the ancient Greek Goddess of Peace, IRINI is a military Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Operation deployed in the Mediterranean Sea that aims at contributing to achieving peace and stability in Libya.
To do this, Operation IRINI will deploy aerial, naval and satellite assets to ensure an active implementation of the UN arms embargo off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean, together with other secondary tasks.
MANDATE AND OBJECTIVES:
The primary task of the Operation is the implementation of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council – through UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) and UN Security Council Resolution 2292 (2016). By contributing to stemming the flow of weapons into Libya, the 0peration will help create the conditions for a permanent ceasefire in Libya.
As secondary tasks, the Operation:
• Contributes to the implementation of UN measures to prevent the illicit export of petroleum from Libya through monitoring and surveillance activities, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2146 (2014) and UN Security Council Resolution 2509 (2020);
• provides capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy in law enforcement tasks at sea;
• contributes to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2240 (2015).
The facts and figures of the operation as follows;
ACTION :
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI draws on maritime, aerial and satellite assets.
With these means, the Operation gathers extensive and comprehensive information on the trafficking of arms and related materiel and shares this information with relevant partners and agencies. EUNAVFOR MED IRINI may inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya bound to or from the country and suspected to be carrying arms or related materiel in violation of the arms embargo.
In addition, the Operation also conducts the appropriate activities to implement the secondary tasks of its mandate: prevent the illicit export of petroleum, provide 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.
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI will host a Crime Information Cell (CIC) comprising staff from relevant law enforcement authorities of Member States and EU agencies. This cell will facilitate the receipt,
collection and transmission of information on the arms embargo on Libya, the illegal exports of petroleum from Libya and on human smuggling and trafficking as well as crimes relevant to the security of the operation.
