EU launches force to secure Europe's borders
Border Guard launch
(KAPITAN ANDREEVO) - On Thursday at the Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint on Bulgaria's external border with Turkey, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency was officially launched.
The task of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency is to closely monitor the EU's external borders and work together with EU Member States to speedily identify and address any potential security threats to the EU's external borders.
The launch event included a presentation of the vehicles, equipment and teams of the new Agency, as well as a press conference attended by the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, as well as Slovak State Secretary Denisa Sakova and other EU interior ministers and senior officials.
Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos hailed the launch as a "milestone in the history of European border management".
"From now onwards, the external EU border of one Member State is the external border of all Member States – both legally and operationally", he said. "In less than one year we have established a fully-fledged European Border and Coast Guard system, turning into reality the principles of shared responsibility and solidarity among the Member States and the Union. This is exactly the European response that we need for the security and migration challenges of the 21st century."
The Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Fabrice Leggeri, also hailed a "historic moment". "The new Agency is stronger and better equipped to tackle migration and security challenges at Europe's external borders. Its mandate has wider scope and new powers that will allow it to act effectively."
He said the new Agency would conduct stress tests at the external borders to identify vulnerabilities before a crisis hits. It would also offer operational support to neighbouring non-EU countries who ask for assistance at their border and share intelligence on cross-border criminal activities with national authorities and European agencies in support of criminal investigations. He said the agency would have a key role at Europe's maritime borders through its new coast guard functions.
Under the new mandate, the agency's role and activities have been significantly expanded. The Agency's permanent staff will be more than doubled and the agency will be able to purchase its own equipment and deploy them in border operations at short notice. A rapid reserve pool of at least 1,500 border guards and a technical equipment pool will be put at the disposal of the Agency – meaning there will no longer be shortages of staff or equipment for Agency operations.
The Commission says the new border guard will help to manage migration more effectively, improve the internal security of the European Union and safeguard the principle of free movement of persons.
Questions and Answers: The new European Border and Coast Guard Agency