The EU is to launch a new Mediterranean naval mission by the end of next month to help enforce the widely-breached UN arms embargo on Libya and boost efforts to end the north African country’s civil war.
Foreign ministers from the 27 European countries agreed on Monday to set up the operation with ships, aircraft and satellites to both block maritime smuggling and gather intelligence on weapons shipments coming by other routes.
Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy chief, said the mission should be an important contribution to international efforts to end the conflict in Libya that has pulled in many international powers on both sides. “We managed to reach a political agreement,” Mr Borrell told reporters, although he acknowledged many details still needed to be settled. “The operation will comprise aerial, satellite and maritime assets.”
