The EU countries agreed to prolong the Operation Sophia, formally European Union Naval Force Mediterranean (EU NAVFOR Med), aimed at rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea as well as countering human trafficking, for three months until March 2019, the EU Political and Security Committee (PSC) said.
The mission was prolonged for three months instead of a year, as it has been done before, because of Italy’s wish to change the mission’s regulations in order to avoid accepting migrants rescued in the central Mediterranean route.
“The PSC agreed to prolong the mandate of the EU NAVFOR Med (Sophia) operation for three months,” the committee said, as quoted by Welt.