As one of the two bodies to exercise the legislative function of the EU, the European Parliament, along with the Council of the European Union, negotiates and adopts the legislative mandates of EU agencies, including that of Frontex.
The European Border and Coast Guard Regulation clearly sets out, in its Article 7 on Accountability, that “the Agency shall be accountable to the European Parliament and to the Council in accordance with this Regulation.”
The Regulation also specifies this accountability in a number of defined areas of activity where Frontex shall directly report to the European Parliament. These areas include border management research, risk analysis, vulnerability assessment results, additional financial or operational needs and situations requiring urgent action at the external borders.
The Frontex Executive Director regularly attends European Parliament Committee hearings and meetings to provide updated information on the Agency’s activities. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) is the parliamentary standing committee most regularly attended by the agency, but Frontex also cooperates with the Committees on Budgets (BUDG) and Budgetary Control (CONT), the Sub-Committees on Security and Defence (SEDE), and on Human Rights (DROI), or the newly inaugurated Special Committee on Terrorism (TERR).
As newly set out in the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation, the European Parliament shall have a greater role in the appointment procedure of the Frontex Executive Director.