Federal Ministry of the Interior and Frontex pursue common goal

Full and effective implementation of Integrated Border Management across EU Member States

At an international symposium on the future of European border police cooperation, Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble and Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen underscored the need for joint, coordinated action at European level in order to protect the EU external borders effectively.

«One of the declared aims of our Presidency is to further develop the capacity of the European border management agency Frontex, in order to enhance the protection of the European Union’s external borders and to deepen border police cooperation,» Federal Minister Schäuble stated.

Effectively combating illegal migration also demands close and mutually trusting co-operation with partner states; targeted efforts are needed to further deepen and expand such cooperation.

«For this reason, the Federal Police and Frontex have organized this international symposium, in which the heads of the border police forces of the European Union Member States as well as partner states are taking part,» Federal Minister Schäuble and Executive Director Laitinen stressed.

Participants from 38 countries are taking part in the symposium ’Perspectives of Operational European Border Security Cooperation’, in Boppard, Germany, from 15 to 17 April 2007.

«I am sure that the symposium discussions will provide impetus for further intensifying international border police cooperation. The results will help consistently build up Europe’s security architecture. In doing so, it is important to find the appropriate balance between European solidarity and national responsibility,» the minister added.

With the gradual expansion of the area with abolished checks at borders between European Union Member States, effective control of the common external borders of the European Union is of crucial significance for all Member States.

«We have all seen the pictures of people in unseaworthy boats landing on the Canary Islands or crossing the Mediterranean to Lampedusa. We must also continue to address migration flows across the eastern land borders of the EU, across Western Balkans and developments in illegal migration by air. Frontex can play a key role in this context, provided that the Member States will continue to actively participate in its operations,» Laitinen stated.

«We need joint, coordinated efforts at European level,» Federal Minister Schäuble stressed. «This is why we – especially during our Presidency – are working to further strengthen Frontex, which during joint operations has already demonstrated that it can effectively assist the Member States with these tasks.»

As a first, significant step, the German Presidency has successfully launched two fundamental instruments for Frontex.

Consultations on the European Commission’s draft regulation for creating rapid border intervention teams have been completed. These teams, known as RABITs, could go into operation already this year to provide effective response in urgent and exceptional situations the Member States might be facing with regard to influx of illegal migrants.

The draft regulation also allows the option of assigning executive powers to guest officers. Doing so will significantly increase the effectiveness of joint European border police operations. «Germany had very good experience during the 2006 World Cup with assigning executive powers to guest police officers,» Federal Minister Schäuble noted.

A similar concept of having a pool of experts from one Member State that can be deployed in another Member State will be used in so called Frontex Joint Support Teams (FJSTs). «This pool enables creation of teams to act in regular Frontex co-ordinated operations planned on the basis of our risk analyses,» Frontex Executive Director explained.

The second fundamental instrument are Centralized Records of Available Technical Equipment, also known as CRATE, being set up by Frontex.

This record lists the technical equipment which Member States are willing to provide at the request of another Member State for temporary use for control and surveillance of the external borders.

«Germany will continue its regular participation with personnel and equipment in joint operations under Frontex aegis at problem areas along the EU’s external borders,» Federal Minister Schäuble announced.

«The pools of experts to be deployed within RABITs and FJSTs as well as the technical equipment from the CRATE will enhance our operations as there will be less need for ad hoc solutions,» Executive Director Laitinen added.

Another task is to explore and build up a European Patrols Network for the southern maritime borders. «Frontex and the Member States in the region have already agreed on initial possibilities for coordinating their efforts in this field,» Executive Director Laitinen said.

Source : http://www.eu2007.de/en/News/Press_Releases/April/0416Migration.html