Today's European Council on Foreign Affairs will discuss of the situation in the Middle East, and in this context it should be informally address the issue of the establishment of a mission to counter attacks carried out by Houthi rebels against ships in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Yemen. The conditional is a must as a proposal for the creation of a military force to ensure the security of the maritime traffic in the region, which would see the participation of France, Germany and Italy and other European nations, is not on the agenda. The new mission, which - anticipated the "Financial Times" - would be called "Aspides" and should be authorised by a new meeting of the Council of the next month, would have characteristics similar to those of the transaction "Agenor" promoted at the beginning of 2020 by France as part of the "Emasoh" initiative to safeguard the safety of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is based mainly on the use of naval forces, and would have defensive character, thus distinguishing itself from the operation "Prosperity Guardian" activated by the USA and the UK United to defend ships transiting the Bab Strait el-Mandeb from drone and missile attacks from the coasts Yemen and assaults by boats with armed men.

The British newspaper "Financial Times" specified that the "Aspides" mission could be initiated pursuant to Article 44 of the Treaty on European Union according to which "the Council may entrust the to a group of Member States that would do so desire and have the necessary capacities to do so mission."

In the meantime, the Unimpresa Study Center has taken stock of the situation on the impact on maritime traffic in the Suez Canal determined by attacks by the Houthis against ships that are headed or They come from the Egyptian waterway. Bearing in mind that through Suez passes almost 20% of the goods transported by sea in the world and 30% of container ships, the Unimpresa Study Centre notes that the high climate of uncertainty resulting from the crisis in the The Red Sea brings problems, immediate and perhaps on the way: it passes through the Suez Canal, after all, 16% of the value of Italian imports, with large purchases from China (according to sourcing market for us after Germany), from Asia, from the Persian Gulf. Going out into the Mediterranean - the analysis specifies - Many container ships call at ports other ships, those that bring to Italy gas from Qatar to the Rovigo regasification terminal, are blocked, and 13% of Italy's demand for gas.

The Study Centre notes that the diversification of these months allows Italy a good degree of autonomy, thanks to the fact that significant shares of gas, 33% and 14% respectively, from Algeria with the Transmed, and from Azerbaijan with the TAP. But Risks of rising gas and gasoline prices are behind the angle (we are talking about +4 and +10%). And anyway it's high the incidence of imports for crude and refined oil.

The persistence of this situation - highlights the Study Center - would be a problem given that in Italy as much as 85% of traffic Goods travel by road. The slowdown in maritime traffic, which would have a more serious impact on the operation of ports such as Genoa and Trieste, also results in damage to some Strong components of the Italian economy: 500 million are at risk representing the export of agricultural production and to the countries of the Middle East, India, the South-East Asian. More than a third of imports for the Italian supply chain of fashion, in fact, passes through the Suez Canal. More in general - underlines the Unimpresa Study Centre - it would be a This is especially a problem for small and medium-sized enterprises, which are unable to absorb the increase in freight rates with the quantities.

"The crisis in the Red Sea," commented the President of Unimpresa, Giovanna Ferrara - can have negative effects on inflation and could lead the European Central Bank to delay the cut in the cost of money: it would take very little, on the price front, to say goodbye to a return to a after almost two years of heavy restrictions credit with very high interest rates. This situation requires a A broad response, which cannot only be Italian. Ours A country, which is at the centre of the consequences of what is In Suez, he can't do it alone: never as in this In this case, the European Union must give a united response that The needs of all European partners will be shared. The Effects For now, the crisis is not a red alert, but we need to move in advance and do not wait for the course of events."