Round Table: Trends and Developments in European Union External Border Control

2nd June 2006, Utrecht, the Netherlands

Venue

‘Instituut voor Staats- en Bestuursrecht’

12:30 - 16:30 hrs

Theme and questions

In the field of European external border control new laws and institutions are be- ing planned and implemented with constant fervor. The purpose of this Round Table is to discuss the recent trends and developments both on an institutional and substantive level.

At the institutional level, the establishment of the Frontex Border Agency might be seen as a mark of supranational tendencies, even if its current form is less ambitious than originally intended. What are the ambitions and possible devel- opment scenarios for this agency? How does Frontex relate to other, existing institutions and national services? The planned setting up of common applica- tion centers, and eventually common visa offices, are other elements that seem to fit in a supranationalizing trend. How would such centers deal with diverging national policies and the remaining competence of states to issue national visas? These and other questions on institutional developments will be discussed in the first part of the Round Table.

On a substantive level, changes which can be expected to have most impact are the introduction of a Community Border Code and new instruments in the area of migrant registration. How should these instruments be judged in view of the aim to establish an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice? How do they contribute to a Europe-wide coherent, balanced, ‘integrated border management’: fair and efficient restriction of unwanted movement connected to facilitation of licit migration? Some of the institutional intricacies might have its repercussions on the substantive level: how for example is the problem of legal protection in transnational regimes addressed at European level? These are questions that will guide the second half of the Round Table. As problems from the first and second half of the meeting are related, the final discussion will integrate both aspects and a concluding speech will be presented to connect the insights from all afternoon.

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Round Table : Trends and Developments in European Union External Border Control