EU to expand Mediterranean anti-smuggler force

EU countries will on Wednesday (16 September) pledge more naval assets for an operation to curb human smuggling in the Mediterranean Sea.

The "force generation conference", to take part in Brussels under the auspices of the EU external action service, comes after ministers, on Monday, gave the green light to "phase two" of "EUnavfor Med".

The operation currently has eight vessels, including two submarines, and several aircraft from 14 member states.

Phase one, in the EU's words, consisted of "surveillance and assessment of human smuggling and trafficking networks" and started in June.

Phase two "provides for the search and, if necessary, diversion of suspicious vessels" in international waters and is expected to start in mid-October.

Phase three "would allow the disposal of vessels and related assets, preferably before use, and to apprehend traffickers and smugglers" also in Libyan waters and on Libya's coasts.

Monday's decision will also see EU officials begin to draft "rules of engagement" for phase two, which must be approved by EU ambassadors in the Political and Security Committee before EUnavfor Med switches up a gear.

An internal EU document on the project, seen by EUobserver in May, warned that: "Non-compliant boarding operations against smugglers in the presence of migrants has a high risk of collateral damage including the loss of life".

Russia factor

For his part, Russia's EU envoy, Vladimir Chizhov, noted the EU scheme will come up for discussion at the UN general assembly in New York this month.

He told the Tass news agency Friday the EU needs a UN resolution for action in international waters which leads to "detention and control of vessels without a flag, or under flags of countries that supported the UN Security Council resolution".

He said it also needs a UN or a Libyan permit for phase three.

Russia, a UN veto-holder, is also expanding its military presence in the region.

It confirmed last week that it's sending military personnel and weapons to support the Syrian government, its old ally, in the fight against Islamic State.

It also warned the US to be careful who it hits in its bombing sorties in Syria.

Its Middle East intervention has prompted some EU diplomats to fret whether Russia plans to trade co-operation on IS or migrants for an end to Western sanctions over Ukraine.