European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union
Frontex is the European Union agency for external border security and was established by Council Regulation (EC) 2007/2004.
The agency started to operate on 3 october 2005 and was the first EU agency to be based in one of the new European Union member states from 2004.
Frontex promotes, coordinates and develops European border management in line with the EU fundamental rights charter applying the concept of Integrated Border Management.
Promote, coordinate and develop European border management in the line with the EU fundamental rights charter applying the concept of integrated Border Management.
Help border authorities from differrent EU countries work together.
Reinforce and streamline cooperation between national border authrithies.
Moyens d’action
Joint operations: Frontex plans, coordinates, implements, and evaluates joint operations conducted using Member State’s staff and equipment at external borders (sea, land and air)
Training : Frontex is responsible common training standards and specialist tools. These include the Common Core Curriculum, which provides a common entry-level training rationale for borders guards across the Union, and mid- and high-level training for more senior officers
Risk Analysis : Frontex collates and analyses intelligence on the ongoing situation at the external borders. These data ara complied from border crossing points and other information as well as from the Member States and open sources including mass media academic research
Research : Frontex server as a platform to bring together Europe’s border-control personnel and the world of research and industry to bridge the gap beteen technological advancement and the needs of border control authorithies.
Providing and rapd response capability : Frontex has created a pooled resource in the form of European Border Guard Teams (EGBT) and an extensive database of available equipment which brings together specialist human and technical resources from across the EU. These teams are kept in full readiness in case of a crisis situation at the external border.
Assisting Member States in joint return operations : When Member States make the decision to return foreign nationals staying illegally, who have failed to leave voluntary, Frontex assists those Member States in coordinating their efforts to maximise efficiency and cost-effectiveness while also ensuring that respect for fundamental rights and the human dignity of returnees is maintained at every stage
Information systems and information sharing environment : Information regarding emerging risks and the current state of affairs at the external borders form the basis of risk analysis and so-called « situation awareness » for border control authorities in the EU. Frontex develops and operates information systems enabling the exchange of such information, including the information and Coordination Network established by Decision 2005/267/EC and European border surceillance system.
While fulfilling its mandate, Frontex liaises closely with other EU partners involved in the development of the area of Freedom, Security and Justice such as Europol, EASO, Eurojust, FRA or CEPOL, as well as with customs authorithies in order to promote overall cohesion
Frontex also works closely with the border-control authorithies of non-EU/Schengen countries - mainly those countries identified as source or transit route of irregular migration – in the line with general EU external relations policy.
