This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
European Agency for the Management of External Borders — Frontex
SUMMARY OF:
SUMMARY
WHAT DOES THIS REGULATION DO?
It establishes Frontex, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union.
Regulation (EU) No 1168/2011 amends the original act to improve the integrated management of the EU’s external borders and to enhance cooperation between national border guard authorities.
A further amendment, Regulation (EU) No 656/2014, lays down rules for the surveillance of the EU’s external sea borders in the context of operational cooperation managed by Frontex.
KEY POINTS
Tasks
Frontex’s main tasks are:
Equipment
Frontex can buy/lease its own equipment for border control (cars, vessels, helicopters, etc.) or jointly buy it with EU countries.
Operational plan
An operational plan (drawn up prior to joint operations, rapid border interventions and pilot projects) should include all aspects of the given activity, such as:
EU Border Guard Teams
European Border Guard Teams are deployed in joint operations, rapid border interventions and pilot projects coordinated by Frontex.
They are composed of border guards from the EU countries, experts in different areas of border management, including:
Cooperation
Frontex may cooperate with Europol, the European Asylum Support Office, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, non-EU country authorities and international organisations such as, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Eurosur
In 2013, under a separate regulation, the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur) became operational. This information-exchange framework is designed to improve the management of the EU’s external borders. It aims to support EU countries by:
Frontex plays an important role in the compilation and analysis of the ‘European situational picture’, a review of the events that have recently taken place at the borders of certain EU countries and that could help detect changing routes or new methods used by criminal networks.
FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?
It applies from 1 May 2005.
BACKGROUND
Frontex became operational in 2005. It is based in Warsaw, Poland.
In the context of the European Agenda on Migration, in December 2015, the European Commission issued a proposal to create a European Border and Coast Guard Agency. This would be built from Frontex and the EU countries’ authorities responsible for border management and would permit a more integrated management of the EU’s external borders.
KEY TERM
* Schengen countries: European countries that have signed an agreement to remove border controls and allow free movement of all nationals of the signatory countries, other EU countries and some non-EU countries.
The Schengen countries are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
ACT
Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 of 26 October 2004 establishing a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (OJ L 349, 25.11.2004, pp. 1-11).
Successive amendments to Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
RELATED ACTS
Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2013 establishing the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur) (OJ L 295, 6.11.2013, pp. 11-26).
last update 02.05.2016