EU Military Director General gives evidence on Operation Sophia

26 February 2016

The EU External Affairs Sub-Committee is taking evidence from the Director General of the EU Military Staff (EUMS). The EUMS is the source of military expertise within the European External Action Service, and Lieutenant General Wolfgang Wosolsobe gives his views on how effective Operation Sophia has been at disrupting smugglers in the Southern Central Mediterranean.

Witnesses

Thursday 3 March in Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster.

At 11.00am (by video conference)

Lieutenant General Wolfgang Wosolsobe, Director General, European Union Military Staff

Likely areas of discussion

The Committee discusses the mandate for Operation Sophia, the resources needed for the Operation, how Operation Sophia interacts with the other actors in the region, and how successful the Operation has been to date.

Possible questions

Questions the Committee is likely to put to the witness include:

Can you explain to us how the assessment and intelligence gathering phase proceeded, and if you are satisfied with the quality of the information gained?
Are you satisfied with the military strategic objectives in the mandate? Is the mandate feasible? Do you think that more flexibility would be useful? Would you advise, in due course, that the area of operations could be extended to the Eastern Mediterranean route?
How do the EU Member States oversee the mission and provide political guidance and oversight?
In your view, what should be the point at which the mission should be terminated? What criteria should be used to assess its success and reach this decision?
What are the procedures for handling the smugglers once they have been apprehended? In which jurisdiction are smugglers apprehended by Operation Sophia arrested, detained and tried?
How does Operation Sophia interact with the other actors in the region such as the Frontex mission (Operation Triton) and the upcoming NATO mission in the Aegean?

Further information

Image: iStockphoto