Law No. 168 of 31 October 2024 updated the previous legislation (Law No. 145/2016) governing Italy's participation in international missions, introducing changes to the authorisation and financing of such missions and to the status of development cooperation interventions in support of peace and stabilisation processes. The main objective is to streamline the decision-making process in order to respond more quickly to geopolitical changes, providing for greater government participation. This is a real operational flexibility: from now on, it will be much easier to move personnel and equipment between different missions in the same geographical area, allowing them to work in an integrated manner. In fact, the government will be able to quickly identify and deploy forces with a high level of operational readiness in the event of crises or emergency situations. In addition, the deadline by which the government submits its annual report to Parliament, which is essential for taking stock of the situation and deciding whether to continue with the missions, has changed. It will no longer have to be submitted in December, but by 31 January, thus allowing for more accurate and complete data to be collected on the past year.

The resolution presented on 19 February 2025 by the Council of Ministers is the first resolution following the reform of the framework law on international missions (Law No. 145 of 2016) summarised above. The analytical report concerns ongoing international missions and the status of development cooperation interventions in support of peace and stabilisation processes carried out between 1 January and 31 December 2024 (Doc. XXVI, No. 3). The purpose of the resolution was to authorise the continuation of these missions in 2025 and Italy's participation in a new international mission (DOC. XXV, No. 3). This involves the creation of a contingent of forces with high and very high operational readiness, to be deployed, through an accelerated procedure, in the event of crises or emergency situations. The geographical area of intervention is indicated in very broad terms, namely: “Countries where national personnel and contingents operate and countries where security conditions require the implementation of a specific national plan, as well as within the area of responsibility of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)”.

The resolution of the Council of Ministers was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 16 April 2025 by Committees III (Foreign and Community Affairs) and IV (Defence). In the Senate, however, the resolution was approved on 8 April 2025 by the 3rd Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.

For the missions subject to extension, the Government estimates a maximum of 12,109 personnel deployed in operational theatres for 2025 and an overall average of 7,751 personnel.

A total of €1,480,172,377 has been authorised for the extension of ongoing missions and a total of €29,973,204 for participation in the new mission in the event of actual deployment of forces.

The following list outlines the military and police missions in which Italy participated with its own personnel during 2025, organised by country or geographical area of operation.

Asia

• Operation 'International coalition against the terrorist threat of Daesh'
• Operation Levante - Deployment of military forces for the national contribution following the Israel-Hamas conflict

Balkans

• Operation Joint Enterprise, within NATO, in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• EUFOR Op. ALTHEA, EU operation

Burkina Faso

• Support mission in Burkina Faso

United Arab Emirates / Kuwait / Bahrain / Qatar / Tampa

• Operation ‘Military deployment, including Red Cross Volunteer Corps personnel, in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Tampa for requirements related to international missions in the Middle East and Asia’

Eritrea

• Bilateral training mission for the Somali and Djiboutian police forces and the Djiboutian armed forces
• National military base in Djibouti

Iraq

Operation ‘NATO Mission in Iraq (NM-I)’

Lebanon

• Operation ‘United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)’
• Operation ‘Bilateral Training Mission for the Lebanese Armed Forces (MIBIL)’

Libya

• MIASIT bilateral mission in Libya
• UNSMIL mission in Libya

Mozambique

• European Union EUMAM mission in Mozambique

Niger

• MISIN support mission in Niger

North Africa

• NATO Mission ‘Implementation of Enhancement of the Framework for the South’

Palestine

• Operation ‘Bilateral Mission for the Training of Palestinian Security Forces (MIADIT)’

Somalia

• European Union EUTM Mission in Somalia

Tunisia

• Bilateral cooperation mission in Tunisia

Ukraine

• National participation in NATO, EU, coalition and bilateral initiatives in support of Ukraine - EUMAM Ukraine (European Union Military Assistance Mission) military training mission

Strengthening of national, NATO, EU and UN capabilities

• Operation Safe Mediterranean
• NATO Sea Guardian mission
• EUNAVFOR MED Irini mission
• NATO capability for naval surveillance and data collection in the southern area of the Alliance
• National air and naval capability for presence, surveillance and security activities in the Gulf of New Guinea
• EUNAVFOR ATALANTA Operation
• EUNAVFOR ASPIDES Operation
• COMBINED MARITIME FORCES Operation
• MULTINATIONAL FORCE AND OBSERVERS (MFO) Operation