On Monday 18 February, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the deployment of liaison officers in third countries.
The new rules, presented last May, aim to improve the functioning of this network of agents deployed by Member States or the European Union, in order to better manage illegal migration to the EU.
According to a statement made by the Council, the informal agreement, which must be approved by the EU ambassadors and the Parliamentary Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), provides for a Steering Committee at EU level to strengthen the management of the network and the coordination of liaison officers, while ensuring the jurisdiction of the national authorities that deploy these officers.
According to the agreement, liaison officers will gather information to help non-member states prevent illegal migration flows and support the management of the EU's external borders. They may also assist Member States in facilitating the return of third-country nationals who are staying illegally. Finally, liaison officers will also have a greater role in gathering information on human trafficking networks. They may share this information with other liaison officers and with the competent authorities in the Member States.
The European Parliament's LIBE Committee adopted its mandate at the end of January, whereas the Council adopted it last November (see EUROPE 12179, 12128). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)