An Cosantóir

22 OPERATION EU NAVAL FORCE MEDITERRANEAN IRINI model of human smugglers and traffickers. So far in Op ENFM IRINI, surface assets have been provided by France, Germany, Italy and Greece. Air assets in the form of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) have been provided by Poland, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Italy. Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft have been provided by Greece, France and Italy and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle support is provided by Italy. Submarines from France and Italy have also participated in the mission. In total, twenty two countries of the European Union are participating, with staff or assets. Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Irish Defence Forces, are supporting the mission with two members of the Naval Service and one member of the Air Corps working across the various branches in the Operational Headquarters in Centocelle, Rome. OPERATION EU NAVAL FORCE MEDITERRANEAN IRINI OP IRINI members on board a RHIB in the Mediterranean Libya has been in a state of considerable unrest for many years and now in November 2020 a ceasefire is in place and peace talks are ongoing. At the Berlin Conference on Libya on 19th January 2020, participants committed in particular to fully respect and implement the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1970 (2011), 2292 (2016) and 2473 (2019). Against this background, the Council reached a political agreement to launch a new operation in the Mediterranean. On 31st March 2020, the European Union launched a new Common Security and Defence Policy military operation in the Mediterranean called Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (Op ENFM IRINI). The operation is named after the Greek goddess of peace and is intended to enforce a Libyan arms embargo and thereby contribute to the peace process in the country. The mandate of Op ENFM IRINI will initially last until 31st March 2023 and in parallel with the launch of Op ENFM IRINI, the previous EUNAVFOR MED operation in the Mediterranean (Operation SOPHIA) permanently ceased its activities. Op ENFM IRINI draws on maritime, aerial and satellite assets to pursue its mandate. With these means, the Operation gathers extensive and comprehensive information on the trafficking of arms and related material and shares this information with relevant partners and agencies. Op ENFM IRINI may inspect vessels, on the high seas in or outbound from Libya, suspected of transporting arms or related material in violation of the arms embargo. In addition, the Operation also conducts appropriate activities to implement the secondary tasks of its mandate, namely: the prevention of illicit exports of petroleum, the provision of training and capacity building of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy and to contribute to the disruption of the business By Commander Anthony Heery, Deputy Acting Chief Of Staff Operations Photos Provided By The EU NAVFOR Med Operation Irini Flickr Page An Irish RHIB containing refugees are taken aboard the LÉ Samuel Beckett as part of the OP IRINI mission

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