Brussels, 13/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 12 March, at the end of a conference in Brdo Pri Kranjui in Slovenia, the European commissioner for immigration, Franco Frattini, indicated that the majority of EU ministers of the interior had given their support to an integrated strategic approach for improving external EU border security. The ministerial debate focused on the proposals formulated on 13 February by the European Commission. They include the strengthening of the border agency, Frontex, new technology for checking people, and a border surveillance system, Eurosur (EUROPE 9600). These proposals could enter into force between 2012-2015.
Ministers began the conference with the presentation of the Commission communication on the assessment and future development of Frontex, which was set up in 2005 and whose role is expected to increase in the future. The Slovenian minister of the interior, Dragutin Mate, said that “member states should be satisfied with the agency start-up phase”. He also emphasised that Frontex would benefit from sufficient resources for this year (€70 million). During a press conference, the minister stressed that “most delegations agree on defining short and long term priorities…We still want a strong and efficient agency”. Mr Mate said that in the short term, member states hope that Frontex will implement the 2008 work programme. He also indicated that it would be useful to deepen reflection on the creation of regional operational centres for coordinating activities in southern (eastern and central Mediterranean) zones. Frontex will also cooperate with other organisations, like Europol. Other Frontex short term priorities include risk analysis and inventories and joint return operations managed by Frontex. In the long term, the main priority will be cooperation with third countries in the management of borders in a global approach, explained Mate. Commissioner Frattini indicated that future priorities also included coordination between Frontex and customs and training border police, with the aim of developing a European corps of border guards by 2010. On the allocation between member states of migrants rescued at sea, Frattini declared that work was continuing at the Council on guidelines that would allow countries to acquaint themselves with procedures to take when taking charge of rescued migrants. The Commission was pleased that in the context of the Frontex “tool box” (equipment for Frontex provided by member states), the Netherlands had signed an agreement with Frontex that included helicopters and boats being made available.
Ministers then debated the registration of bona fide travellers and the entry/exit electronic travel authorisation system (renamed the Electronic System of Travelling Authorisation - ESTA). The discussion also revealed certain misgivings because the application of new technology is not expected to eliminate the human factor in the exercise of border controls or prevent passenger flows on all the borders. Delegations were pleased that the results from the traveller registration pilot projects had been taken into account via biometric elements implemented in different member states, as is already the case in London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam. The majority of states supported the examination project that will be carried out by the European Commission. The latter will attempt to work out the feasibility of ESTA and its advantages.
Ministers also supported the Commission's third communication on implementing Eurosur, which may already be up and running by 2015 or, according to Mr Mate, even earlier. Member states recognised that Frontex may give technical support to the project, which is aimed at monitoring 7000km of land borders and 60000km of maritime borders surrounding the EU. The US secretary of state for homeland security, Michael Chertoff and the attorney general, Michael B. Mukasey, presented their countries' experiences and points of view on border surveillance. US border surveillance is based on three key factors: preliminary information on travellers wishing to enter US territory, request for secure documents (biometric passports) and registration of biometric data on entering US territory.
Commissioner Frattini proposed replacing current paper visas, now seen as obsolete, with ESTA. He indicated during the debate that “we consider visas as being obsolete”. This new system will allow national authorities to make assessments on an individual basis. The Commission explained that through this system, no country will be added to the list of countries obliged to obtain visas, given that ESTA will be able to prevent third country nationals, which present a danger, entering EU territory. Travellers will therefore no longer be obliged to go to consulates in order to travel. This system will still have to be examined by experts. (B.C.)