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    • Frontex Opens New Regional Command Office in Estonia to boost Border Security in Northern and Eastern Europe

    2025-07-10

    Today, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, opened a new regional command office in Estonia. This marks a major step forward in how the EU manages its borders in Northern and Eastern Europe. 

    The new offices will lead operations across eight countries: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden. It will serve as the command centre for Contingent 7, one of Frontex’s permanent field teams made up of officers from the Standing Corps, the EU’s uniformed border force. 

    By placing leadership closer to the ground, the regional command structure will make Frontex more responsive and flexible. It will support national authorities in addressing challenges such as irregular migration and cross-border crime, while also improving cooperation across the region. Officers from Contingent 7 work alongside local forces, offering extra capacity and technical expertise where needed. 

    "With these new bases in Estonia, we are not just closer to the border. We are closer to the reality on the ground, ready to support our national partners and respond quickly to challenges as they arise" Lars Gerdes, Frontex Deputy Executive Director for Operations.
    "Frontex Contingent 7 is a key part of the EU’s firewall for internal security — protecting our external border and deterring hostile intentions. The Frontex flag on the Narva River marks not only the EU’s frontier, but also its unity in facing shared threats. It shows the trust Member States place in Estonia and highlights the importance of international cooperation in safeguarding peace across the Union." Joosep Kaasik, Deputy Secretary General for Internal Security
    "Opening the new regional command center helps all the joining member states fulfill a mission of safer Europe. Our strength comes from shared values, operational principles, and clear coordination. Since the full-scale attack on Ukraine, the eastern border of the EU means more than ever - this border now separates more than countries—it separates values. When we guard this border, we protect democracy, freedom, and the future of Europe." Egert Belitšev, Director General of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board

    The high-level opening ceremony, held at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences (which is also our Partnership Academy), gathered around 200 distinguished guests and senior representatives from national authorities, EU institutions and operational partners. Keynote speeches were delivered by Mr. Keit Kasemets, the Secretary of State of Estonia, Alexander Fritsch (Chair of the Frontex Management Board), and Frontex’s Deputy Executive Director for Operations, Lars Gerdes. Remarks followed from Angelina Gros Tchorbadjiyska from European Commission). Christos Voutskoglou, Commander of Contingent 7, presented the regional command structure. 

    The new Estonian offices reflecting Frontex’s wider shift toward strengthening its presence in the field.  It is part of the Agency’s ongoing commitment to managing Europe’s borders with professionalism, accountability and full respect for fundamental rights. This region also faces complex political and security dynamics, which makes close cooperation, trust and timely coordination more important than ever.