Brussels, 22/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is planning to take a raft of measures in March 2008 on border security, including the creation of a European border guard, explained Ilkka Laitinen, the Director of the EU's new border control agency Frontex, on Thursday 18 October at a conference in Brussels organised by Security Defense Agenda.
The prospect of a European border guard is an idea which has been around since the end of 2001. Its possible creation was included in the 2004 The Hague Programme without a specific timetable due to the reservations of several member states (particularly the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries). Operational for two years now, Frontex has enabled the EU to make huge strides in combatting illegal immigration and in boosting member states' capacity to coordinate action operationally and administratively. The creation of a genuine European border guard therefore might be feasible now. It remains to be seen what type of governance would rule such a structure (intergovernmental or Community). Laitinen said he himself would prefer the second option. A diplomat commented that even with a new treaty, there were no indications that member states would be prepared to go down such a road, believing in cooperation among existing agencies rather than setting up a new agency. Frontex may also be given further powers but the fight against crime in the EU should remain in Europol's hands, said the diplomat.
Making such a distinction would be a drastic approach, according to the director of Frontex. He said he hated the European pillars, explaining that Frontex was part of the first pillar (Community) but border guards were involved every day in fighting crime (third pillar, inter-governmental). Ilkka Laitinen set out weaknesses in the current joint, integrated management of the EU's external borders. Once again, he complained that Frontex had too few resources (planes, ships and helicopters) at its disposal. On Frontex's budget for next year, Laitinen said that €70 million was peanuts (see EUROPE 9518). He hinted at lack of will among the member states whose main aim was to protect their own operating budget and were therefore blocking the proper funding of the EU's cooperation capacity. (B.C.)