EU foreign affairs ministers have updated the mandates of two EU naval missions — EUNAVFOR ASPIDES and EUNAVFOR ATALANTA — operating in and around the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean.
The Council of the EU adopted two decisions amending the missions’ tasks as the EU maintains a naval presence to protect international shipping routes and maritime infrastructure in the region, the Council announced in a release on Monday.
ASPIDES was set up in February 2024 as a defensive operation after repeated Houthi attacks on international shipping, according to the Council. Its mandate was extended until 28 February 2027 by a Council decision in February 2026.
Under its updated mandate, ASPIDES will be able to collect and share information on suspicious activity linked to critical submarine infrastructure — such as undersea cables and pipelines — within its available means and capabilities.
The mission will also contribute to capacity building by training Djiboutian maritime forces and will cooperate with the Yemeni Coast Guard.
ASPIDES will strengthen links with other EU initiatives including CRIMARIO, the EU’s critical maritime routes project.
ATALANTA mandate changes
ATALANTA, the EU’s long-running maritime mission launched in 2008, has also had its mandate amended following a 2025 strategic assessment, the Council said.
The operation began as a counter-piracy mission and its mandate expanded in 2022 to include countering illicit arms and drug trafficking at sea.
The updated mandate suspends monitoring of illicit charcoal trade, while keeping secondary tasks to monitor arms and narcotics trafficking and illegal fishing, according to the Council.
Like ASPIDES, ATALANTA will now collect and share information on suspicious activity linked to critical submarine infrastructure within available means and capabilities.
ATALANTA has also been extended until 28 February 2027 and will strengthen links with CRIMARIO and other EU initiatives.
