The European Commission adopted a model agreement and working arrangements for cooperation on Tuesday 21 December between the Frontex agency and third countries in border management, the institution announced on 22 December.
The model status agreement allows for the deployment of Frontex border management teams to partners outside the EU, in particular in neighbouring countries and other countries of origin or transit. The model working agreement sets out a framework for operational cooperation between Frontex and the border management authorities in the partner countries.
The Commission has negotiated status agreements with five neighbouring countries, including Serbia, Albania and Montenegro, and Frontex has working agreements with 18 partners.
The communication stipulates, among other things, that Frontex must evaluate these cooperation agreements with third countries on an annual basis and that the Commission must, for its part, first assess the fundamental rights situation in that country and inform the European Parliament whenever it proposes a status agreement with a third country. However, status agreements are not the right instruments to organise return operations, as dedicated return teams other than border management teams cannot be deployed in third countries.
Link to the communication: https://bit.ly/3Ee54YM (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)