Surveillance missions are due to start “within days” against the people traffickers in the Mediterranean.
EU foreign ministers gave unanimous approval to the first phase of the military operation against the smuggling gangs in north Africa.
"The targets are those that are making money on their lives, and too often, their deaths," said EU senior diplomat Federica Mogherini.
The first phase consists of intelligence gathering, including from the migrants themselves. GCHQ officers will participate in eavesdropping on the smugglers and will investigate how their money flows.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said EU leaders will be “setting out a range of measures that will allow us to interrupt the smugglers’ business, disrupt their business model, and work with the upstream countries to stop the pressures that are driving this wave of migration towards Europe.”
The effort should start by early July.
The second stage of the EU operation will be the search and seizure of suspicious vessels.
The third phase would see the "disposal of vessels and related assets, preferably before use" and to "apprehend traffickers and smugglers". That would mean operations in Libyan territorial waters.
Before expanding efforts outside international waters, the EU wants approval from the UN Security Council. This needs consent from the fractured Libyan government.
The use of five warships, two submarines, three reconnaissance planes, three helicopters and two drones has been approved. Twelve countries will participate in the mission, including Britain.
