Background
As an integral part of the Frontex mission, the establishment of operational cooperation with third countries is valued as an indispensable tool for effective management of the global fight against illegal migration and cross-border crime. It promotes and contributes to the implementation of the EU integrated border management concept.
Frontex aims at intensifying the existing bilateral cooperation with the competent authorities of neighbouring States as well as countries of origin and transit of illegal migration to the EU, based on the findings of Frontex risk analyses.
In this context Frontex is building up and maintaining, at the operational level, a reliable, accessible, and effective network of partnership with the competent authorities of countries situated outside of the EU, which are in effect the law enforcement authorities with operational responsibility for the border control as well as with regional border control cooperation structures.
Intensifying and expanding these ties will also fully take into account the EU external relations policy priorities, and in particular the Global Approach to Migration, the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum as well as the Stockholm Programme.
Areas covered by operational cooperation
Operational cooperation is taken forward in the areas of information exchange, risk analysis, training, research & development, joint operations and pilot projects.
Frontex will continue to take forward bilateral cooperation based on concluded working arrangements as its preferred option. It takes into account the mutual interests of the parties and such coordinated operational cooperation is exercised and developed gradually and is always targeted at a sustainable partnership where each partner country is considered individually.
A good example of this gradual development and sustainable partnership can be seen in the establishment of a Western Balkans Risk Analysis Network where the analysts of Frontex and the six countries concerned are working together and using the same analytical methodology. Progress has also been made towards the establishment of a similar network involving neighbouring eastern countries.
In addition to an increasing involvement of third country partners in Frontex coordinated joint operations, the area of training has shown how these partner countries are taking EU training standards progressively on board. A good example of this is the Frontex-developed Common Core Curriculum for basic border guard training (CCC). Should they choose, the relevant authorities of partner countries can then adopt into their own national strategies the Frontex training standards and/or make use of existing training tools.
Such collaboration leads to increased harmony between EU and non-EU systems and structures and promotes interoperability, which is in the common interests of all the authorities concerned.
Colleagues from partner countries are benefiting from specialised training for border guards following the expertise gathered by EU Member States specialists and also actively participating in the updating process and/or the joint development of new training tools.
The other main option for the establishment of operational cooperation with third countries, referred to in the relevant Article of the Frontex founding Regulation, is by the facilitation of existing operational cooperation between an EU Member State and a third country. This latter option has been employed to good effect in recent years, in particular in respect of the Frontex Joint Operation Hera which has focused on illegal migration flows emanating from West Africa to the Canary Islands. Even though Frontex has yet to conclude bilateral working arrangements with the competent authorities of Mauritania and Senegal, both countries have been involved in Joint Operation Hera as a result of bilateral agreements in place with Spain, and their contribution has yielded positive results in terms of reducing the numbers of migrants undertaking the extremely dangerous journeys in small unseaworthy boats heading towards the Canary Islands.
Frontex priorities regarding cooperation with third countries
The cooperation with EU candidate and potential EU candidate countries will always deserve special attention, especially in order to facilitate the efforts of these countries in aligning their border management structures with EU standards.
Establishing and maintaining operational/technical cooperation with neighbouring third countries as well as third countries bordering the Mediterranean remains one of the highest priorities given the continuing pressures of the current migratory flows at the southern borders of the EU and in particular the humanitarian aspect associated with maritime illegal migration.
Mainly based on risk analysis, Frontex will also gradually seek to engage with other third countries of origin or transit.
Working arrangements and cooperation in place
As at February 2011, Frontex had concluded working arrangements with the competent authorities of 14 third countries: the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Croatia Moldova, Georgia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States, Montenegro, Belarus, Canada and Cape Verde as well as with the CIS Border Troop Commanders Council and the MARRI Regional Centre in the Western Balkans.
In addition, following mandates to enter into negotiations from its Management Board, the Agency is in various stages of negotiations with the competent authorities of further 8 third countries: Turkey, Libya, Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania, Egypt, Brazil, and Nigeria.
Based on a working arrangement, the cooperation may be further structured so that both sides commit resources to specific planned activities over a given timeframe.
Frontex involvement in EU-led initiatives
At the same time and complementing the direct cooperation with the third country partners, Frontex is providing its advice and actively participating in other EU-led initiatives involving cooperation on border related activities with third countries. Examples of this form of cooperation can be seen in EU initiatives stemming from the Global Approach to Migration, for example the Mobility Partnerships, the Eastern Partnership Initiative or the Building Migration Partnerships.
Finally the contacts and cooperation with EU missions and regional initiatives are also important elements in the external relations strategy of Frontex. Fluent regular contacts and cooperation are established with EUBAM in Moldova and Ukraine, or the EUSR Border Support Team in Georgia, as well as with the BSRBCC in the Baltic, the BSCGF in the Black Sea and others, in order to ensure coordination, develop synergies and improve the cooperation with the participating countries.
