Reinforcing the management of the European Union’s Southern Maritime Borders

1. Since the Tampere Programme of 1999, the management of the external borders has been one of the cornerstones of the progressive establishment of the European Union as an area of freedom, security and justice. The Commission’s Communication «Towards integrated management of the external borders of the Member States of the European Union» set out priorities for the development of integrated management of the external borders, focusing on a common body of legislation, operational cooperation between Member States and solidarity between Member States and the Community. The goals of the 2002 Communication have now broadly been reached with the entry into force of the Schengen Borders Code, the establishment of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) and the forthcoming adoption of the External Borders Fund which will enter into force in 2007.

2. The Hague Programme of 2004builds upon the Tampere Programme, mapping the development of a «second generation» of measures designed to strengthen management of the external borders in general. In 2005, the European Council agreed on a Global Approach to Migration, including the management of the southern maritime external borders and setting out a set of priority measures which should be implemented before the end of 2006.

3. In its Conclusions of 5 October 2006, the Council invites the Commission «with the cooperation of FRONTEX and taking into account the responsibilities of Member States, the feasibility study on the establishment of a Mediterranean Coastal Patrol Network (MEDSEA) and experience gained in joint operations, to present a Communication to the Council before the end of 2006 identifying those further operational measures that can be taken in the short-term to equip the Union with the necessary capacity to help assist in preventing and managing migration crisis situations».

4. Reinforcing the management of the southern external maritime borders is essential for further developing a European model for integrated border management. A number of general principles have been devised during the Finnish Presidency. In particular, the management of the European Union’s external borders is based on the principles of solidarity, mutual trust and co-responsibility among Member States, founded on full respect for human rights. It is also stressed that Member States should develop and maintain operational and managerial resources for credible operational control of their borders and allowing for joint operations in cooperation with FRONTEX. Measures concerning maritime borders should also be seen in the wider context of the Green Paper on a future EU Maritime Policy concerning a broader rationalisation of EU Governments’ off-shore activities and convergence of surveillance systems.

5. The pressure of illegal migrationon the Member States of the European Union situated in the Mediterranean and Atlantic region in the last two years has reached an unprecedented high, requiring immediate and decisive action at both national and European levels, in order to safeguard the Schengen system and prevent further tragedy among illegal migrants who die in large numbers in attempting to reach the shores of the European Union.

6. In this context, it is of the utmost importance that all Member States of the Union continue to work together in a spirit of solidarity, not least to assist those southern Member States most affected by illegal migration from Africa, while taking into account the necessary steps already taken or to be taken in order to face the equally important migration challenges at the eastern and south eastern borders of the European Union.

Download at PDF format

Reinforcing the management of the European Union’s Southern Maritime Borders