The documents, revealed Monday, outline a military operation endorsed by the European Union Military Committee against cross-Mediterranean refugee transport networks and infrastructure.
The papers detail plans to carry out military actions to destroy vessels used to transport migrants and refugees from Libya.
The documents, also attributed to the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, say that the European Union runs the risk of receiving negative publicity if casualties are attributed to action or inaction by EU forces.
To mitigate reputation risks, the papers recommend adopting an information strategy to "facilitate expectation management."
Refugees from North Africa and the Middle East are attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea and reach Europe, fleeing violence in their home countries.
In April, some 900 refugees drowned in a single boat, attempting to cross from Libya to Italy. The scale of the tragedy and the widespread global reaction prompted the European Commission to unveil a plan for quotas to distribute refugees among member states.
