Brussels, 30/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - Just four months after the European Commission's proposal, the Council reached political agreement on Tuesday on the creation of the European border management agency, to be operational from 1 January 2005, with the following duties: co-ordinating operational border co-operation, providing technical assistance to expulsions organised by Member States, helping to train border guards, drawing up a risk analysis, aiding co-operation between Member States and third countries, and following technical developments. The Council will confirm this political agreement, and the European Council will decide on the thorny issue of where the agency should be headquartered. The agency will oversee the co-operation centres for terrestrial (Germany), air (Italy) and maritime borders (Spain and Greece).
The last point to be resolved was that of modalities for the United Kingdom and Ireland to participate in the agency, which these countries requested, and which the others should agree to, but this is not as easy as it seems, because the agency was set up under a Schengen framework, in which these two countries do not take part. It was finally decided that these two countries will be able to play a full role in operational activities, but will have no votes on its board.
Spain entered a reservation on this text, related to its application to Gibraltar.
The Commission presented its proposal in November (EUROPE of 13 November, p.11).