The EU27 home affairs ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday 4 March to discuss the state of health of the Schengen area of free movement, the migration situation in the EU, and also pending legislative dossiers, such as the regulation on the removal of online child sexual abuse material, which the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council intends to relaunch.
The fight against drugs will be another important topic of discussion, following the launch in January of the European Ports Alliance to fight drug trafficking.
With regard to the Schengen area and the management of migratory flows, the ministers will have an exchange of views on the current regulations of the Frontex Agency, criticised on 28 February by the European Ombudsman, who considers that they do not allow assistance to be given to migrants in distress (see EUROPE 13360/25).
This will be based on the assessment that was provided by the Commission on 5 February, which reported positive trends such as more assistance from Frontex on returns (see EUROPE 13343/6).
A working paper has been submitted to the Member States to support this discussion. The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council explains that over the last few months, “significant progress has been made in strengthening and enlarging the Schengen area, with agreements on important legislative dossiers and the EU Council’s decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania. Nevertheless, the Schengen area faces a number of challenges, including the continuing increase in illegal immigration, the constant threat posed by various forms of cross-border crime and an increasingly hostile and unstable environment at its external borders”.
In particular, the Presidency notes that cooperation between the Agency and national authorities could be strengthened to increase the effectiveness of deployments.
It also stresses that since situational awareness and risk analysis are essential for the security of the EU’s borders, “it is necessary to improve the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the picture of the situation at the EU’s external borders”.
As far as Frontex’s support for the implementation of return measures is concerned, it has been “effective in all aspects of the return process, including organising joint return operations and providing other forms of return assistance, including counselling and reintegration support. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of strategic direction and monitoring. In addition, cooperation with other organisations and third countries plays a crucial role in border protection and return measures”.
The note indicates that a review and update of the cooperation framework is therefore necessary.
However, “at the meeting of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) on 20 February 2024, following the presentation of the report by the Commission, there was a broad consensus that the mandate of the EBCG (Frontex, editor’s note) remains appropriate and offers added value”.
And the development of the permanent staff (10,000 permanent agents for Frontex by 2027) is well under way, even if there are still shortcomings in terms of composition and expertise. The Agency should, however, “adapt its working methods to the different realities and needs of host states”, and the fact that the current mandate does not allow it to provide operational support to third countries in organising return operations has been seen by some Member States “as a missing element”, adds the Presidency.
During this exchange of views, the ministers of the EU27 will be asked to give their opinion on a number of issues designed to reinforce the Agency’s effectiveness.
On the external dimension of migration, the ministers will discuss partnerships with the countries of origin and transit of migrants, while the Commission, following the agreement with Tunisia, is working on new arrangements with Egypt and Mauritania.
Other topics for discussion include the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas for the EU’s internal security. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with Nithya Paquiry)