On 9 November, Frontex and the Czech Presidency of the Council launched a new forum on border security operations with executive powers in Prague.
The opening conference gathered EU Member States and the EU pre-accession countries with Status Agreements concluded.
At the moment, Frontex implements operations with executive powers in four non-EU countries: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Moldova. Upon the entry into force of the Status Agreement between the EU and North Macedonia (signed on 27 October, currently in ratification process), Frontex will also implement such a joint operation in North Macedonia. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine joined the event as special guests.
The implementation of joint operations under Status Agreements has marked a significant milestone in the history of cross-border cooperation.
The conference was a follow-up of the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs held on 3-4 November in Tirana, as well as the discussions in the framework of the EU Support Hub for Internal Security and Border Management in Moldova. During the previous discussions, an agreement was reached to strengthen the monitoring of trends along the Western Balkan route and to reinforce border management, including by the use of Frontex’s presence and mandate in the region.
Goetz Brinkmann, Director of International and European Cooperation Division at Frontex, said: “The experience shared by Frontex and colleagues from the Western Balkans and Moldova proves how beneficial our cooperation has been so far. During the conference, we were able to hear from first hand how our operations are born, but we also learned what benefits Frontex operations bring to combat cross-border crime and strengthen border management. More Frontex presence in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood is a win-win partnership.”
