The European External Action Service (EEAS) is an important partner for the agency in all its international cooperation activities, in close coordination with the European Commission. Regular staff-to-staff meetings, as well as exchange at the Executive level, help to ensure that Frontex cooperation activities outside of the EU go hand-in-hand with the Union’s foreign and security policy.
Frontex relies on the expertise and support of the EEAS and works closely with EU Delegations and Common Security and Defence (CSDP) missions, particularly through Liaison Officers in non-EU countries. In turn, the agency supports the development of EU’s external policies with operational knowledge and advice on border issues, including in the context of EU’s high level dialogues on migration and security, migration compacts and other initiatives.
Cooperation with CSDP missions and operations is an important priority for Frontex.The agency works together in the areas of training and risk analysis, exchange of information and coordinating operational activities. For example, Frontex experts are regularly deployed to the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM), to support the mission with border management expertise. Close operational coordination has been established between the Frontex Joint Operation Triton and the EU Naval Force Mediterranean - EUNAVFOR Med operation Sophia, to effectively fight migrant smuggling networks and save lives at sea.
Frontex also works closely with the EU Intelligence Analyses Centre (INTCEN) and the EU Satellite Centre (EU SATCEN) – two entities under the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy that support informed decision making. Both entities contribute to the European situational picture and a common pre-frontier intelligence picture, and provide data for Frontex risk analysis.