News

The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Israel Yasser Reda visited EUBAM Headquarters in Ashkelon on Tuesday 22 March.
On this occasion, Colonel Alain Faugeras presented the current activities of the Mission and updated Ambassador Reda on EUBAM's readiness to redeploy and perform its tasks at the Rafah Crossing Point.
Also attending the meeting were the Deputy Head of the Egyptian Mission, Mr Moustapha El Kouny, the First Secretary of the Egyptian Mission, Mr Barakat Elleithy, EUBAM POLAD Alessandro De Rienzo and EUBAM PPIO Benoit Cusin.  

A delegation from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited EUBAM Headquarters in Ashkelon and met with the Head of Mission, Colonel Alain Faugeras, on 20 March 2011.
On this occasion, the visitors were presented the current activities of the Mission and received an update on its readiness to redeploy and perform its tasks at the Rafah Crossing Point. Colonel Faugeras also informed them on the current situation in the Gaza Strip as regard to the crossing of people and goods.

The European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) met with EUPOL COPPS and EUBAM Rafah representatives in Ramallah.

EUPOL COPPS’ Deputy Head of Mission, Jesper FRIEDRICHSEN, together with EUBAM Rafah’s Deputy Head of Mission, Mario PELLEGRINO, briefed this delegation on the missions’ mandates, daily activities, challenges and future, and also on the broader European Union’s support to the Palestinian Security Sector and Justice Sector Reform.

The recently appointed Defense Attaché at the French Embassy in Tel Aviv, Colonel Guillaume BAILLEUX de MARISY and his two assistants visited EUBAM Headquarters in Ashkelon on Wednesday 08 September.
 
Colonel BAILLEUX de MARISY met with Colonel FAUGERAS and received an update on the Mission’s activities.
The French Defense Attaché was also briefed by the Chief of Operations Captain Mario PELLEGRINO, and by the Customs Officer Judith STADER, on EUBAM’s readiness to redeploy and perform its tasks at the Rafah Crossing Point.

Jack Twiss Quarles van Ufford, the Head of Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority, met with the Head of Mission of EUBAM Rafah on 13 July 2010 in the Mission's headquarters in Ashkelon.  On this occasion. Colonel Alain Faugeras presented the current activities of the Mission and updated Mr van Ufford on EUBAM's readiness to redeploy and perform its tasks at the Rafah Crossing Point.

Colonel Alain Faugeras, Head of the EUBAM Rafah, met Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in a joint meeting with the Heads of the civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions on 29 June 2010 in Brussels.
 
The meeting was an occasion to discuss the achievements and challenges of the different CSDP missions engaged in various theaters all over the world, in particular in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Georgia, Iraq and the Balkans.
 

A delegation from the German Federal Ministry of Interior visited EUBAM Headquarters in Ashkelon and met with the Head of Mission, Colonel Alain Faugeras, on 24 June 2010.
 
On this occasion, the visitors were presented the current activities of the Mission and received an update on its readiness to redeploy and perform its tasks at the Rafah Crossing Point.

Colonel Alain FAUGERAS, Head of Mission of EUBAM Rafah, gave a lecture on Border Security Operations to Palestinian senior leaders on Wednesday 09 June. The lecture was part of the program of the Palestinian Senior Leaders’ Course, jointly organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior and the Office of the United States Security Coordinator.

A delegation of French and Spanish parliamentarian assistants visited EUBAM Rafah Headquarters on Wednesday 26 May, during a working trip organised to Israel by the Brussels-based organisation European Leadership Network (ELNET). The delegation met the Head of Mission of EUBAM Rafah, Col. Alain FAUGERAS, who presented them the mandate and current activities of the Mission.

On 12 May 2010, the Council adopted a joint action further extending the mandate of the EU Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point for one year, until 24 May 2011. This follows confirmation of agreement from the two Parties, the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The Council of the EU had previously adopted three joint actions extending the mandate of the mission until 24 November 2008, 24 November 2009 and 24 May 2010 respectively.