House OKs Italy EUNAVFOR participation

(ANSA) - Rome, July 30 - The Lower House on Thursday voted to authorize Italy's participation in the EUNAVFOR Med naval mission to combat migrant traffickers in the southern Mediterranean.
    The motion passed with 272 in favor, 100 against and 11 abstaining.
    The anti-establishment, anti-euro 5-Star Movement (M5S), the anti-immigrant, anti-euro Northern League, and the small leftwing opposition Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) party voted against the measure.
    The decree allocates 26 million euros from June 27 to September 30 this year to Italy's leadership of the three-phase mission.
    The first phase involves identifying and monitoring migrant trafficking networks, while the second and third phase involve stopping, seizing and destroying migrant traffickers' boats.
    The two latter phases will require consent from Libya or the UN Security Council.
    EUNAVFOR Med works with Frontex, Europol and Eurojust EU agencies.
    EU foreign ministers in June approved the launch of the first phase of EUNAVFOR.
    The mission is part of the European Commission's Agenda on Migration, a response to Italy's appeals for help in dealing with the Mediterranean migrant crisis.