EU Council extends Irini naval mission to 2029 with rewritten mandate

The Council of the European Union has extended the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI naval operation by two years, until 31 March 2029, and rewritten its mandate around three main roles, including countering Russia’s “shadow fleet” and protecting critical maritime infrastructure. The change is set out in Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2243 of 9 October 2026, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, L series, on 12 October 2026.

The operation was established by Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/472 of 31 March 2020 and had been extended until 31 March 2027 by Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/488 of 11 March 2025. On 14 July 2026, in the context of a Strategic Review, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) agreed to extend it by two years and welcomed organising its current tasks around three main roles. The decision entered into force on the date of its adoption, 9 October 2026, and was signed at Luxembourg by the President of the Council, S. Harris.

Three roles for the mission

Article 2 of the amended decision sets the mandate:

• Safeguarding Union interests in the Mediterranean through credible protection and deterrence.
• Contributing to the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions in support of peace and stability in Libya.
• Fostering Mediterranean partnerships through capacity building and training (CB&T) and naval diplomacy, as part of the Union’s integrated approach.

Shadow fleet and critical infrastructure

Under the new Article 3, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI must contribute to Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA), expanded towards Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), in order to detect, monitor and report on illicit activities and threats to the security, safety and economic interests of the Union. It must also contribute to constraining Russia’s “shadow fleet”, as defined in International Maritime Organization Assembly Resolution A.1192(33) of 6 December 2023, in compliance with UNCLOS, through a whole-of-route approach. The mission will support the protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure (CMI), including trials and pilot deployments of technological solutions for maritime protection, and will help disrupt human smuggling and trafficking networks through aerial patrolling above the high seas.

Libya embargo tasks and partnerships

Article 4 keeps the operation tied to the UN arms embargo on Libya under UNSCR 1970 (2011) and to UN measures against illicit petroleum exports under UNSCR 2146 (2014), gathering information with aerial, satellite and maritime assets. Article 5 tasks it with CB&T for Libyan maritime law enforcement and search and rescue, and with providing a platform for maritime security cooperation that may extend to Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon. Information may be exchanged with INTERPOL, the International Criminal Court, the UN Support Mission in Libya and the United States, and the mission will host a Crime Information Cell.

Budget and parallel measures

For the period from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029, the reference amount for the common costs of the operation is EUR 16 880 000, with 0 % for commitments and 0 % for payments under Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509 establishing the European Peace Facility. In parallel, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2026/2242 and Regulation (EU) 2026/2259, both of 9 October 2026, removing references to the operation from the Libya sanctions regime after the authorisation in UNSC Resolution 2292 (2016) lapsed on 25 May 2026.

The extension gives Mediterranean shipping, energy and defence stakeholders two more years of a mission whose focus now shifts beyond migration control towards hybrid threats, with the shadow fleet and undersea infrastructure at the centre of EU maritime policy.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 2026/2243, 12 October 2026, p. 1 (official reference: Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2243).