Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta has attended the informal meeting of the EU Ministers of Defence that has taken place yesterday and today in Wien, during the Austrian semester of the EU Presidency. Trenta: “Operation Sophia must be reviewed by introducing a rotation of disembarkation ports”
Mission EUNAVFORMED Sophia, the Mediterranean and Libya were the themes that Minister Elisabetta Trenta brought to the attention of the informal meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the European Union..
The meeting – that has taken place in Wien – provided an opportunity to propose a review of EU mission EUNAVFORMED Sophia by introducing a rotation of disembarkation ports.
The focus of Minister Trenta's proposal is that disembarkation ports for EU military ships engaged in mission EUNAVFORMED must no longer be exclusively Italian ports. In this regard, Elisabetta Trenta has advocated the introduction of a rotational principle. The latter is,of course, closely linked to the subsequent relocation of migrants in EU Member Countries.
The mechanism would apply to all Search and Rescue (SAR) events, regardless of the geographical area in which they take place.
The proposed review of mission Sophia, moreover, provides for the establishment of a Cooperation Unit - under Frontex management- made up of one representative for each Member State that will join the mechanism. Since the city of Catania (Sicily) hosts one of Frontex.premises, it would be the natural location for the Coordination Unit.
"In some respects, Sophia is proof that Europe can be a security provider, and I think that what's at stake now with regard to this mission is Europe's image", Elisabetta Trenta said in her speech, also asking for a fair burden sharing and illustrating her proposal for reviewing the rules of the mission.
"We are open to all suggestions that reflect the concept that Europe is ready to respond to any relevant challenge. Our proposal aims at introducing a rotation in the identification of disembarkation ports, and the establishment of a Coordination Unit responsible for assigning the port to the competent country. We hope that an open discussion on this theme will start today: that's what we are here for".
In her speech Minister Trenta has underscored the need for a fair burden sharing among Member Countries: "Since we all benefit from the implementation of EUNAVFORMED Sophia it's only natural to have a fair burden sharing. On the contrary, our country has been bearing the greatest burden since the beginning, starting from all rescued migrants being disembarked in Italy, in the absence of any mechanism for their relocation in the other Member States".
In the margins of the meeting – held in Wien during the Austrian EU presidency semester, and chaired by EU High Representative/Vice President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, and the Defence Minister of the Austrian Republic, Mario Kunasek - Ministro Trenta also held bilateral talks.
She met with her counterparts from France, Florence Parly, and Malta, Michael Farrugia.
Furthermore, she met with UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, to whom she reiterated the willingness of the Italian Government to strengthen and further develop the already excellent partnership between Italy and the United Nations, leveraging the significant contribution traditionally provided by our country to the main sectors of activity of the UN.
