The Council of the European Union decided on 3 July 2013 to extend the mandate of EU BAM Rafah (The European Union Border Assistance Mission at the Rafah Crossing Point) for a further 12 months, starting from 1 July 2013 until 30 June 2014 on the basis of its current mandate.
The Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA), the Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing of 15 November 2005 between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and the Agreed Arrangement on the European Union Border Assistance Mission at the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) on the Gaza-Egypt Border (EU BAM Rafah), concluded on 25 November 2005 constitute the basis for EU BAM Rafah.
EU BAM Rafah has not been redeployed at the RCP since 2007 due to Hamas' control of the Gaza strip. Nevertheless the EU is maintaining the acquis of the AMA and the EU's third party role as important and stands ready to redeploy to the crossing point should the political and security conditions allow.
