The European Commission adopted on Friday 9 April an implementing act to modernise the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR), the cooperation mechanism for the exchange of information between the authorities responsible for the management of the EU’s external borders, and to specify the obligations of the Frontex agency which implements this system.
The Commission explains in a press release that the decision is intended to allow for proper risk analysis and faster reaction.
The act, which will apply from 2 May, provides, among other things, for Member States to publish regular reports and alerts on situations relevant to the management of the EU’s external borders, for example in relation to trafficking in human beings, seizure of drugs, weapons or explosives, vehicle trafficking or child abduction.
They will also be required to report incidents and operations related to search and rescue. The new rules are also stricter with regard to security and data protection.
Created in 2013, EUROSUR is a framework for information exchange and cooperation between Member States and Frontex to improve situational awareness and increase response capacity at external borders, the Commission explains.
The system is managed by Frontex and each Member State has a National Coordination Centre (NCC) which coordinates and exchanges information between all authorities responsible for the surveillance of the external borders.
The new rules specify new obligations for Frontex to notify events observed, which must be immediate, particularly as soon as an abnormal trend appears or a new modus operandi develops at the external borders.
All areas are concerned, from illegal crossing attempts to rescue operations at sea or the detection of crime. Frontex is also responsible for ensuring the security of the data transmitted and shared.
Link to the new rules: https://bit.ly/3t8nlBZ (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)