27/05/2015 - On 18 May of this month, the Council of the European Union has given the go-ahead to the naval mission Eunavfor Med, a naval operation designed to destroy the traffic of human beings operated in the Mediterranean by the so-called "smugglers".
Eunavfor Med would see different operational phases obviously conforming to International Law. We use the conditional because without the resolution or the legitimization of the UN, this mission would not take off. The resolution is being examined these days.
According to some information sources already disclosed in these days, the first phase would concern the planning of operations together with that of surveillance and blocking of the traffic network in the central-southern Mediterranean. The second and third phase would focus on the search and complete destruction of the smugglers' operational networks, actions initiated in accordance with the Libyan authorities and according to International Law.
The mission Eunavfor Med it would be commanded by the admiral of division Enrico Credendino - among his last assignments the guide of the European naval force engaged in the anti-piracy mission Atalanta in Somalia. The headquarters would be located in the former Centocelle Roman airport which also hosts the IOC, the Interforze Operational Command. Here the admiral together with a staff of about forty officers from various countries, could also coordinate the activity of Eunavfor Med with that of the NATO mission in the Mediterranean Active Endeavor of European device.
La flagship, (it could be one of the two Italian aircraft carriers, the Garibaldi or the modern Cavour, but there are hypotheses on the use also as command ship of one of the three units San Giorgio, San Giusto, San Marco) would be commanded by another admiral Italian, Moreover, it would be assumed the presence of other Italian units: probably 4 or 5 and the ships of several other European countries, such as Great Britain, France, Germany and Spain.
Central in these cases the role of intelligence, fundamental for what will be the main activity or the interception and removal of boats. The information must necessarily be shared by the various services that already have a "well-established and broad network" in the Libyan area. It is based on this information - crossed with the aerial images of the situation on the ground coming from unmanned aircraft Predator, from the hunters Tornado and from other reconnaissance aircraft - the planned special forces' blitz aimed at destroying ships in ports would be planned and executed.
The decision of this mission was also accepted by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) together with its 2300 members of 130 countries.
"It is reassuring to see the efforts of European Union leaders towards this endless Mediterranean crisis beyond the search and rescue of the Triton mission, trying to defeat human trafficking and the affair of scapers, which are increasingly increasing this humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean Sea, "commented Giles Noakes, chief of BIMCO.
Maria Grazia Labellarte