Brussels, 29/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission announced on Friday that the European border surveillance system, EUROSUR, will come on stream on 2 December. In a press release, it says that Eurosur, which has often been mentioned in the wake of the Lampedusa tragedy in which some 300 immigrants lost their lives, “will make an important contribution to saving lives of those who put themselves in danger to reach Europe's shores”.
The backbone of EUROSUR is made up of national coordination centres, through which all national authorities with a responsibility for border surveillance (e.g. border guard, police, coastguard, navy) are required to cooperate and to coordinate their activities. Information on incidents occurring at the external land and sea borders, the status and position of patrols as well as analytical reports and intelligence are being shared via “national situational pictures” among these national authorities.
EUROSUR is being established gradually, starting on 2 December 2013 with the 18 EU member states at the southern and eastern external borders (Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain) and the Schengen-associated country Norway. The remaining 11 EU member states and Schengen associated countries will join EUROSUR as of 1 December 2014.
The EUROSUR regulation stipulates that member states and the Frontex agency need to fully comply with the principles of non-refoulement and human dignity when dealing with persons in need of international protection. In the past, a number of countries, such as Italy, have been accused of turning back would-be immigrants at their borders. (SP/transl.fl)