Press releases
23.07.2012 - Council conclusions on common security and defence policy
14.05.2012 - Council conclusions on Somalia
16.06.2011 - Rear Admiral Duncan POTTS appointed Operation Commander of EU NAVFOR Somalia
21.03.2011 - Council Conclusions on Somalia
04.02.2011 - Statement by the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the decision of Somali Parliament
14.12.2010 - New EU Force Commander of EUNAVFOR Somalia - Operation Atalanta
13.12.2010 - Extract from the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions concerning Somalia
The Council had a broad political discussion on the situation in Somalia, following the formation of a new cabinet in Mogadishu after months of political crisis. It reviewed the various aspects of the EU's comprehensive engagement in support of the Transitional Federal Government, including the EU Training Mission, which has successfully completed half its mandate, as well as the anti-piracy operation EUNAVFOR-Atalanta.
07.10.2010 - Joint Communiqué from the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean Ministers and European Union High Representative
Joint Communiqué from the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean Ministers and European Union High Representative at the 2nd Regional Ministerial Meeting on Piracy and Maritime Security in the Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Region, 7th October 2010, Grand Bay, Republic of Mauritius:
07.10.2010 - Opening remarks made by High Representative Catherine Ashton at Second High Level Ministerial Conference on Maritime Piracy in Mauritius
16.08.2010 - New EU Force Commander of EUNAVFOR Somalia - Operation Atalanta
27.07.2010 - European Commission allocates €35 million for victims of conflict and natural disasters in Somalia
15.06.2010 - Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision 2010/231/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Somalia
14.06.2010 - Council conclusions on piracy off the coast of Somalia, Luxembourg, 14 June 2010
14.06.2010 - High Representative Catherine Ashton congratulates Major-General Buster Howes on taking office as EU Operation Commander of Operation EUNAVFOR-ATALANTA
14.06.2010 - High Representative Catherine Ashton congratulates Major-General Buster Howes on taking office as EU Operation Commander of Operation EUNAVFOR-ATALANTA
22.05.2010 - Istanbul Declaration
The Istanbul Conference on Somalia, Istanbul, 21-23 May 2010.
21.05.2010 - Joint Communique Seychelles Regional Conference on Piracy
10.05.2010 - Extract from 3011th Council Meeting (Foreign Affairs)
The Council discussed the situation in Somalia, focusing on piracy and the issue of the prosecution
of suspected pirates captured by ships taking part in Operation EU NAVFOR Atalanta. The High
Representative briefed ministers on ongoing contacts with the Kenyan authorities. She indicated
that she would be visiting the region shortly, beginning with Kenya.
The EU has concluded transfer agreements with Kenya and the Seychelles. Agreements with other
countries in the region are under discussion. The EU is committed to a regional approach, based on
regional ownership and EU support for the countries in the region in their efforts to ensure the
prosecution and detention of suspected pirates.
EUNAVFOR Somalia - Operation ATALANTA was launched in December 2008 to contribute to
the protection of World Food Programme vessels delivering food aid to displaced persons in
Somalia, to the protection of vulnerable vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of
Somalia and to the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery. As
part of its efforts to support stability and security in Somalia, the EU just launched a training
mission (EUTM) in Uganda to train Somali troops.
26.04.2010 - Extract from Council conclusions on CSDP, Luxembourg
19.04.2010 - High Representative Catherine Ashton at EUNAVFOR-Atalanta OHQ
14.04.2010 - High Representative Catherine ASHTON, congratulates Jan THÖRNQVIST on taking office as EU Force Commander of EUNAVFOR Somalia
15.03.2010 - Statement by HR Catherine Ashton on the Agreement between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a
25.01.2010 - Council conclusions on Somalia Training Mission
21.12.2009 - Horn of Africa: Commission allocates €50 million in humanitarian aid for drought-affected people
13.12.2009 - HR Catherine Ashton congratulates Giovanni GUMIERO on taking office as EU Force Commander of EUNAVFOR Somalia, Brussels, 13 December 2009
08.12.2009 - Council conclusions on the Horn of Africa
17.11.2009 - Extract from Council conclusions on ESDP, Brussels
29.10.2009 - EU HR Javier Solana underlines the EU's support for Somalia and its Transitional Federal Government, Brussels
13.08.2009 - EU HR Javier SOLANA congratulates Commodore Pieter BINDT on taking office as EU Force Commander of EU NAVFOR Somalia
27.07.2009 - Council conclusions on Somalia
10.07.2009 - Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, met Ahmedu OULD ABDALLAH, UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Somalia
15.06.2009 - The Council of the European Union decides to extend EU NAVFOR-ATALANTA Operation for one year
07.06.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA Vessel transfers shipwrecked somali sailors
03.06.2009 - Rear Admiral Peter HUDSON is appointed as new EU Operation Commander of Operation EU NAVFOR – ATALANTA
03.06.2009 - Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, met Joel MORGAN, Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Transport of the Republic of Seychelles
26.05.2009 - Seven suspected pirates captured and detained in Gulf of Aden by EU NAVFOR warship
22.05.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: Nine suspected pirates captured and detained in Gulf of Aden by EU NAVFOR warship
18.05.2009 - Council conclusions on Somalia
16.05.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA frigate hands over 13 suspected pirates to the Kenyan authorities
14.05.2009 - EU HR Javier SOLANA to visit London on Thursday
08.05.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: A European naval force frigate hands over eleven suspected pirates to hte Kenyan authorities
03.05.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: A European naval force frigate intercepts eleven pirates, a mother ship and two skiffs
15.04.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: A European naval force frigate intercepts eleven pirates and averts an attack off the coast of Kenya
06.04.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: Change of command at Force Headquarters
04.04.2009 - EU HR Javier SOLANA congratulates Commander Juan GARAT CARAME on taking office as EU Force Commander of EU NAVFOR Somalia
30.03.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: EU naval taskforce repulses pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden
27.03.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: Two European ships hijacked
20.03.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: une frégate de l'Union européenne sauve une centaine de passagers dans le golfe d'Aden
06.03.2009 - EU NAVFOR - ATALANTA: Agreement with Kenya signed
04.03.2009 - EU NAVFOR - Atalanta prevents hijacking
09.02.2009 - EU NAVFOR-Atalanta safely escorts food aid convoy into Somalia
30.01.2009 - One month on, EU NAVFOR makes a real difference in counter-piracy
25.12.2008 - Operation ATALANTA's First Pirate Engagement
18.12.2008 - British Warship completes 1st EU Naval mission
08.12.2008 - Council launches operation against piracy off the coast of Somalia (EU NAVFOR Somalia)
12.11.2008 - EU HR Javier SOLANA congratulates Commodore Antonios PAPAIOANNOU on his appointment as the EU Force Commander for operation EU NAVFOR Somalia
10.11.2008 - Extract from GAERC conclusions on ESDP
The Council noted with satisfaction that the EU NAVCO military coordination action had been established at the General Secretariat of the Council since 19 September 2008. This measure in support of UN Security Council Resolutions 1816 and 1814 enables coordination of the protection needs of vessels chartered by the World Food Programme (WFP) and of other vulnerable vessels with the presence of Member States' and third States' naval units operating in the region. EU NAVCO has, since October 2008, made it possible to organise warship accompaniment of merchant vessels and has contributed to increasing Member States' mobilisation, including in providing continued protection for WFP chartered vessels.
The Council recalled its resolve, in support of UN Security Council Resolutions 1816, 1814 and 1838, to contribute to the improvement of maritime security off the Somali coast as part of the European Union's overall action to stabilise Somalia. Against this background, planning is continuing on a maritime operation intended to contribute to the protection of WFP vessels delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia, in accordance with the humanitarian objectives of UN Security Council Resolution 1814, to the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast and to deterrence, prevention and intervention with a view to putting an end to acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1816.
The Council adopted the Joint Action on operation ATALANTA, thus confirming its decision to take action. It hoped to see operational planning and force generation move ahead rapidly and that operation ATALANTA would commence at the beginning of December 2008.
10.11.2008 - Council adopts joint action on a European Union military operation against acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast
14.10.2008 - Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, congratulates advances made in the preparation of the EU naval operation against piracy
15.09.2008 - Council Conclusions on Somalia - 2888th General Affairs Council meeting