Today, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, presented plans to significantly expand its Partnership Academies Network by
adding more than 10 national border and coast guard academies to the current 17
members.
The main objective of the Partnership Academies is to facilitate cooperation with border and coast guard training institutions in the European Union, to create common educational standards and to modernise education and training systems in the field of border and coast guarding. Frontex will also deliver training activities preparing border guards for deployment in Frontex Joint Operations.
Some of the courses organised last year included workshops on detection of falsified documents, protection of human rights in operational activities, training for border guards at land, air and sea borders, as well as training of return experts.
During a meeting with representatives of various European academies, Frontex introduced large scale exchange programmes that will allow officers to take part in training outside their home country. Member States will benefit from an increased number of services and tools which are facilitated by the availability of a new Frontex Training Unit IT system, which will be available later this year.
This year, Frontex, with the support of the Partnership Academies, will mainly focus on training activities providing specialised trainings for officers deployed at air, sea and land borders.
Frontex has been working together with national Partnership Academies since 2005, supporting EU Member States to achieve an efficient, high and uniform level of border and coast guarding, and developing capacities to tackle challenges at European external borders.
In June, Frontex will hold the first graduation ceremony of the European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management in Salamanca, Spain. The programme is Europe’s only such specialised degree. It was developed by Frontex in collaboration with six partner universities and more than 20 EU border guard training organisations and academies.