Ministers propose extension for Operation Atalanta mandate
Operation Atalanta, the European Union operation against piracy in the Indian Ocean, has been heralded the most successful EU mission to date and is likely to be extended.
Since 1 December, Spain has assumed command of the operation, which is set to run until December 2012.
But at a meeting of EU defence and foreign affairs ministers in Brussels last week, acting Spanish Minister for Defence Carme Chacón proposed Operation Atalanta be extended for a further two years.
A spokesman for EU foreign affairs and security supremo Catherine Ashton said the EU member states had given a clear signal of their willingness to extend the Operation Atalanta mandate until December 2014.
“Such a decision will enable long-term planning and will send a clear political message to our partners of the EU’s commitment in the fight against piracy,” he added.
Operation Atalanta began in December 2008 and the first decision to extend the mission was taken on its second anniversary in 2010.
The EU is also considering a regional project aimed at providing technical assistance and training for coastguard forces in countries such as Kenya, Djibouti and the Seychelles.
Source: IFW
