The European Council decided on July 30 to lengthen the mandate of EU NAVFOR Somalia's operation till the end of 2020, which won European shipowners' welcome.

The Operation Atalanta is aimed to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, and at the same time, to protect the World Food Program (WFP) and other vulnerable shipping, fishing activities and EU missions and programs in the region.

According to ECSA's Secretary General Martin Dorsman, the Operation and the collaboration with other international forces has greatly contributed to the significant reduction in piracy attacks in this region.

It is worth noting that the number of piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean dropped from 176 in 2011 to 9 in 2017. What's more, no incidents were reported in the second quarter of 2018.