EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia: a new Force Commander after one year at sea
It was the 26 June 2015 when, only 4 days after the EU Council Decision to launch EUNAVFOR MED, now known as operation Sophia, Rear Admiral (LH) Andrea GUEGLIO left Taranto harbour on board the Italian aircraft carrier CAVOUR together with the first members of the European Staff, embarked to support him in his duties as Force Commander.
A little more than one year, “nearly 300 of which spent at sea” as remembered today by Rear Admiral (UH) Enrico CREDENDINO 
, EUNAVFOR MED operation Commander in his speech during Force Commander Change of Command Ceremony on board the Italian light aircraft carrier GARIBALDI moored in Taranto Naval Base.
Among the civilian and military authorities in attendance, Mr. Gabor IKLODY Director of the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate of the European External Action Service and the Chief of the Italian Fleet, Vice Admiral Filippo Maria FOFFI.
Admiral GUEGLIO handovers the Command of Operation Sophia Task Force that, in one year, has counted on 19 ships, 8 Helicopters, 8 aircrafts, 4 submarines and more than 400 men and women part of the Force Headquarters Staff, who have been crucial in contributing to disrupt the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean. Troubled waters in which, today, many are operating, and it is for this reason that Admiral CREDENDINO has taken the chance to underline Rear Admiral (LH) GUEGLIO efforts into “enhancing our dialogue with other actors such as the MRCC, FRONTEX and its Operation TRITON, as well as with NGOs with whom we now have a good cooperation. Your investment in this area has been extremely fruitful and you have also built strong relationships at the tactical level with established forces as well as with Italian prosecutors – this has been an important element in our success in countering the human smugglers’ business model”.
“To date – as stated by Admiral GUEGLIO – almost 20000 migrants have been directly recovered by EU Naval assets, and this figure is double when counting the migrants recovered by others, thanks to EU Air assets’ support. Hundreds of migrant boats have been neutralized thus remarkably reducing the operational capacity of the smugglers. These figures prove, without any doubt, our positive effect in the region: without the presence of such European Naval Force, many more people would have certainly perished at sea”.
Rear Admiral Giuseppe BERUTTI BERGOTTO takes over EUNAVFOR MED Force Commander’s responsibilities in a crucial phase of the operation that, last 20 June 2016, has been extended until 27 July 2017. On the occasion, the Council of the European Union has also reinforced its mandate by adding two supporting tasks: training of the Libyan coastguards and navy and contributing to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Libya.
No changes in the end state, as highlighted by Admiral BERUTTI BERGOTTO at the end of his speech “I Invite us all to spare a respectful thought for all those migrants who lost their lives chasing a dream of a better hope. They have something to tell us today and we must give strong answers to them, to their children and to their families. That is to say we must – throughout our daily work – indeed put all of our efforts into ending this emergency and combating human traffic”.