ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes how the member states exerted control over formulating the mandate of military action in Somalia. It argues that non-delegation was critical. The chapter traces the planning of the European Union's (EU) military involvement in Somalia. It provides some background on the Somali conflict. The chapter analyzes the contribution of EU officials to planning the mandate of Naval Force (NAVFOR) Atalanta in May-December 2008. It pays special attention to the role of the United Kingdom (UK) in keeping Brussels at bay. The chapter shows that once the UK realized that it could not block Operation Atalanta, it switched strategies and claimed operational command over the mission. It examines the influence of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in expanding the mandate through the deployment of the two parallel operations. The EU and its member states became for the first time involved in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia in 2008 to escort World Food Programme (WFP) vessels.
