EUNAVFOR MED IRINI Activity Report for November 2025

Background to EUNAVFOR MED IRINI

After the 1^st Berlin Conference, the Council of the European Union decided to launch, on 31 March 2020, a new military operation called EUNAVOR MED IRINI focused on the task of  countering illegal arms trafficking (CIAT) to implement the UN arms embargo on Libya and having as further tasks to contribute to counter oil smuggling (COS) and to disrupt the human smuggling business model (HSBM) and to provide capacity building and training (CB&T) activities in favor of relevant Libyan institutions responsible for law enforcement and Search and Rescue at sea. Op. IRINI is part of the European Union integrated approach to Libya, which includes political, military, economic and humanitarian efforts to bring stability and security to the country.

On the 11^th of March 2025, the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/488 extended the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI’s mandate until 31 March 2027 and enlarged the EU mandate adding the new Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) task.

On the 25^th of November the UN Security Council Resolution 2804 (2025) renewed for 6 months the inspection regime concerning vessels suspected to violate the UN arms embargo on Libya, as set out initially in the UNSCR 2292 (2016) and subsequent. 

The current tasks of Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI are:

• to counter illegal arms trafficking (CIAT), supporting the implementation of the arms embargo on Libya based on the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions (core task);

• to contribute to counter oil smuggling (COS), in particular due to its consequences on the Libyan economy and its possible use to finance the arms market;

• to contribute to the disruption of the human smuggling business model (HSBM) by collecting information with aerial assets and sharing it with FRONTEX (The European Border and Coast Guard Agency) and relevant national authorities;

• to improve the Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) in the Area of Operation by gathering information on potentially illegal activities and by gathering information useful for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and for contingency planning;

• to assist in the development of the capacities and training (CB&T) of relevant Libyan institutions responsible for law enforcement and Search and Rescue at sea.  

This task was launched in December last year when EUNAVFOR MED IRINI and Delegation of the EU to Libya (EUDEL Libya) hosted the Libyan Joint Military Commission 5+5 and other Libyan military authorities for a technical meeting in Rome with representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS), EUBAM Libya and UNSMIL. To date this task continues to be developed through monthly video conferences with Libyan Authorities.

Results of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI

Since its launch, Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI has boarded and inspected 33 suspect vessels and on 3 occasions seized the cargos assessed to be in violation of the UN arms embargo and diverted the vessels to a port of an EU Member State.

Operation IRINI from its beginning:

• investigated 20.758 merchant vessels (hailings) 

• visited 776 vessels upon their Masters’ consent (friendly approaches)

• investigated 2.327suspect flights,

• investigated 25 airports and 16 ports

• provided 81 Special Reports to the EEAS or UN Panel of Expert on Libya. Most of these referred to violations or possible violations of the arms embargo and oil smuggling activities in the west and in the east of the country.

Finally, through the embedded Crime Information Cell, the Operation issued 97 recommendations for inspection of suspect vessels in EU Member States’ ports to the relevant Law Enforcement agencies, of which 76 were conducted.

These results demonstrate the effectiveness of Operation IRINI which acts according to the EU mandate, international law and impartially to contribute to Libya's peace and stability and protect the EU's interests in the Mediterranean region.

* Inspections or friendly approaches are always carried out in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions framework, in full respect of the international law, without undermining the vessels’ schedule of activities. (data updated up to 1^st of December 2025).