Common Security and Defence Policy operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini

20.4.2020

Question for written answer E-002380/2020/rev.1
to the Council
Rule 138
Stelios Kympouropoulos (PPE), Loucas Fourlas (PPE), Demetris Papadakis (S&D), Costas Mavrides (S&D), Alexis Georgoulis (GUE/NGL), Petros Kokkalis (GUE/NGL), Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL), Stelios Kouloglou (GUE/NGL), Elena Kountoura (GUE/NGL)

Since 2011, the UN Security Council has imposed an arms embargo against Libya. Nevertheless, Turkey continues to violate it by sending weapons to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, which it tries to disguise through fake statements about the destination of Turkish ships. 

The new Common Security and Defence Policy operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini aims to implement the UN arms embargo. This operation is supported by NATO’s Sea Guardian mission, which is led by a Turkish Task Group Commander.

Turkey itself has reportedly deployed an oil tanker and five frigates off the coast of Libya – a strong military presence given the launch of the EUNAVFOR MED Irini operation.

Can the Council say how EUNAVFOR MED Irini and the Sea Guardian mission will cooperate?

Since the core objective of EUNAVFOR MED Irini is to protect the arms embargo, how can the collaboration with the Sea Guardian mission led by Turkey, a country that has repeatedly violated the embargo, help to achieve this objective?

Given the reportedly small naval force involved in this operation and the wide range of actions related to security and human rights protection that it carries out in a very wide geographical area, is the Council willing to ask that the operation be reinforced if it does not reach its qualitative and quantitative targets?