The European Parliament approves strengthening of Frontex
The European Parliament adopted the proposal, piloted and negotiated by Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola, to reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard Agency with a standing corps of 10,000 border guards by 2027.
The agency will also have a stronger mandate on returns and will cooperate more closely with non-EU countries, including those beyond the EU’s immediate neighbourhood.
European Border and Coast Guard: #EPlenary approved to reinforce the agency and equip it with a 10 000 strong standing corps by 2027. Press release to follow | @RobertaMetsola @Frontex pic.twitter.com/RtJvIBLieF
— LIBE Committee Press (@EP_Justice) April 17, 2019
This reinforcement will give the Agency the right level of ambition to respond to the common challenges facing Europe in managing migration and its external borders.
The force will be made up of border guards and coast guards from the agency and personnel sent on an obligatory basis from EU countries.
Welcome EP’s vote today on #EUBorderGuard! Thanks to their commitment and the Council, this upgrade was agreed in record time, showing that together, we can rise to the challenges facing our Union. https://t.co/nkWYpd8pQo pic.twitter.com/Tw5Grjd8ES
— Dimitris Avramopoulos (@Avramopoulos) April 17, 2019
The agency will be tasked with monitoring migration flows, monitor external border management by Member States and verify the capacity and preparation for dealing with possible threats, to provide assistance for repatriation and search and rescue operations at sea, and to assist states with rapid intervention in the case of ”specific and disproportionate challenges”.
The law will now have to be officially approved by the European Council prior to entering into effect 20 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
