Frontex welcomed on Thursday the announcement by the European Council that it would triple the funding for operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The agency also thanks EU member states for their pledges to provide additional vessels and aircraft to help avoid future tragedies at sea.
“I am glad to say that the number of pledged assets surpassed our expectations. These assets will contribute to the significant expansion of our operations in the Mediterranean Sea. We will increase our efforts to prevent future tragedies,” Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said.
In the coming days, Frontex will hold working level meetings with the European Commission and authorities from affected member states to coordinate operational upgrades. Frontex representatives will also meet with officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS) to coordinate its actions with the possible Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operation.