1Political and Security Committee Decision (CFSP) 2026/793 of 17 March 2026 on the reconfirmation of the authorisation of the European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI/1/2026)

Political and Security Committee Decision (CFSP) 2026/793 of 17 March 2026 on the reconfirmation of the authorisation of the European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI/1/2026) THE POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 38 thereof, Having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/472 of 31 March 2020 on a European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) OJ L 101, 1.4.2020, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2020/472/oj. , and in particular Article 8(3) thereof, Whereas: (1) On 31 March 2020, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2020/472, which established and launched a European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) for the period until 31 March 2021. (2) Decision (CFSP) 2020/472 provides that, notwithstanding that period, the authorisation of the operation is to be reconfirmed every four months and that the Political and Security Committee (PSC) is to prolong the operation unless the deployment of maritime assets of the operation produces a pull effect on migration on the basis of substantiated evidence gathered according to the criteria set out in the Operations Plan. (3) On 11 March 2025, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2025/488 Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/488 of 11 March 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/472 on the European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) (OJ L, 2025/488, 12.3.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/488/oj). , which extended EUNAVFOR MED IRINI until 31 March 2027, subject to the same reconfirmation procedure. (4) On 18 November 2025, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2025/2451 Political and Security Committee Decision (CFSP) 2025/2451 of 18 November 2025 on the reconfirmation of the authorisation of the European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI/5/2025) (OJ L, 2025/2451, 3.12.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/2451/oj). , which reconfirmed the authorisation of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI until 31 March 2026. (5) The Operation Commander provided monthly pull factor reports. (6) The authorisation of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI should be reconfirmed for the nineteenth four-month sub-period of its mandate and the operation should be prolonged accordingly, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The authorisation of the European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) is hereby reconfirmed and the operation is prolonged from 1 April to 31 July 2026.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. Done at Brussels, 17 March 2026. For the Political and Security Committee The Chairperson L. Mandel Vensild