The EU updates the mandates of naval missions to strengthen maritime security in the Red Sea.
Yesterday the EU Council adopted two decisions that modify the mandates of the EU naval operations Eunavfor Aspides and Eunavfor Atalanta. The decision is part of the European commitment to safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the wider region.
The decision comes after, over the weekend, the Aspides mission issued a navigation alert regarding possible attacks against international maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden. The warning concerns the activities of the Houthi militia, pro-Iranian, active in Yemen. The mandate update thus takes place in a context of increasing instability in the area, characterized by threats to freedom of navigation and risks for commercial vessels transiting along one of the main global maritime routes. Not to mention that, meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz, another vital commercial corridor, has effectively been closed for weeks due to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
All the details.
EXPANDED MANDATE FOR ASPIDES
Regarding Aspides, an operation launched in February 2024 in response to repeated Houthi attacks against international navigation, it has a defensive character and a mandate intended to last at least until March 2027. To initiate it, Brussels allocated 42 million euros, complementing it with other naval operations already present in the region: Atalanta, active since 2008 against piracy off Somalia, and Emasoh/Agenor, launched in 2020 at Paris’s initiative for navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz and now with limited surveillance tasks.
On March 30, the Council modified the Aspides mandate. In addition to the tasks already foreseen, the Aspides operation will now, within the limits of its resources and capabilities, “collect and share information on suspicious activities related to critical submarine infrastructures (CSI), contribute to capacity building through training of Djibouti’s maritime forces, cooperate with the Yemeni Coast Guard, and strengthen ties with other EU initiatives, including Crimario, the EU project on critical maritime routes.”
ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN ASPIDES
As recently recalled by Ansa, the operational area of Aspides is vast and includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf. About 12% of global trade, nearly 30% of container traffic between Asia and Europe, and a significant share of energy supplies destined for the European continent transit these waters. Additionally, about 10% of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
CHANGES TO THE ATALANTA MISSION
For the Atalanta mission, after the 2025 strategic review, the Council decided to suspend monitoring of illicit coal trafficking, while maintaining secondary surveillance tasks on arms trafficking, narcotics, and illegal fishing. Coordination with the EU initiative Crimario (Critical Maritime Routes Indo-Pacific) is also strengthened, and a new task is added concerning the collection and sharing of information on suspicious activities related to critical submarine infrastructures, within the limits of available means and capabilities.
NAVIGATION ALERT IN THE RED SEA
On March 29, the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, issued a navigation alert following the intervention of the Yemeni movement Ansar Allah (Houthi) in support of Iran in the ongoing war. In a statement, the mission reported that it is “closely monitoring” the situation after “an increase in Houthi support” to Tehran. The mission urged vessels to register and request support to transit through safe maritime channels.
The mission also reported that its assets remain “deployed and vigilant” in the area, and that its mandate to protect commercial vessels and freedom of navigation continues.
