Brussels, 11/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - At the invitation of Slovenian Home Affairs Minister Dragutin Mate, EU home affairs ministers and their counterparts from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland will take part in the ministerial conference on the future management of the EU external borders in Brdo pri Kranju (Slovenia) on Wednesday 12 March. The conference will be based on three communications issued by the European Commission in February of this year: the communication on the evaluation and future development of the FRONTEX Agency, the one presenting new ideas and technologies providing enhanced border control, and the one on the establishment of the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR, see EUROPE 9600 and 9601). The conference aims to open a political debate on how to improve EU external border management to prevent illegal entry into the EU through the use of new technologies. Slovenia wants the Council, on the basis of discussions among member states at the conference, to adopt conclusions providing political guidelines for future work in this area. The communication on FRONTEX launches a discussion on the future role of the agency, and identifies short-, medium- and long-term objectives for its future activities. Slovenia hopes to conclude this debate during its term of presidency. The second communication provides for Schengen area entry/exit systems, facilitation of border crossings for bona fide travellers and putting in place an electronic system of travel authorisation (ESTA). Slovenia will consider how willing member states are to develop these systems. It will determine, too, whether the phased introduction of EUROSUR is desirable. (B.C.)