Article 1 · EUNAVFOR ASPIDES

Contents

Article 1Mission#

1.The Union hereby establishes a military European Union maritime security operation to safeguard freedom of navigation in relation to the Red Sea crisis. That operation shall contribute to maritime security along the main sea lines of communication in the area referred to in paragraph 3, in cooperation with other major actors.

2.The operation shall be named EUNAVFOR ASPIDES.

3.The Area of Operation shall comprise the Baab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Its detailed limits, any sub-area and the Area of Interest shall be defined in the relevant planning documents approved by the Council.

4.The strategic objective of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES shall be to ensure a Union naval presence in the Area of Operation with the aim of ensuring freedom of navigation for vessels, in close cooperation with like-minded maritime security providers.

5.For that purpose, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES shall within its means and capabilities:

(a)accompany vessels in the Area of Operation;

(b)ensure maritime situational awareness in the Area of Operation;

(c)protect vessels against multi-domain attacks at sea, in full respect of international law, including the principles of necessity and proportionality, in a sub-area of the Area of Operation.

6.In order to ensure maritime situational awareness in the Area of Operation, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES shall collect information, in addition to data necessary to protect vessels, on arms trafficking and on shadow fleets, with a view to sharing that information with Member States, the Commission, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), as appropriate. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES shall also, within its means and capabilities, collect and share information on suspicious activities related to critical submarine infrastructures, train the Djiboutian maritime forces and cooperate with the Yemeni Coast Guard while linking those tasks with other Union initiatives, in particular CRIMARIO, EU assistance for the Yemeni Coast Guard and the assistance measure under the European Peace Facility to support the Djibouti Armed Forces.