Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 on the European Border and Coast Guard

What it is

to establish a European Border and Coast Guard and a European Border and Coast Guard Agency in order to ensure a European integrated border management of the EU’s external borders. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: during 2015, the European Union witnessed extraordinary pressures at its external borders with an estimated 1.5 million persons having crossed the borders illegally between January and November. The significant secondary movements have led several Member States to reintroduce border control at their internal borders . This has put considerable strain on the functioning and coherence of the Schengen area. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Artis PABRIKS (EPP, LV) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004, Regulation (EC) No 863/2007 and Council Decision 2005/267/EC. The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows : Strengthening the Agency's tasks : Members called for the strengthening of the Agency’s mission so as to ensure a European integrated border management at the external borders with a view to monitoring efficiently the crossing of the external borders , and to addressing migratory challenges and potential future threats at those borders, thereby contributing to addressing serious crime with a cross-border dimension and to ensuring a high level of internal security within the Union, in full respect for fundamental rights, while safeguarding the free movement of persons therein. European integrated border management shall consist of the following components : border control, including measures to facilitate legitimate border crossings and measures related to the prevention and detection of cross-border crime, such as the criminal smuggling of persons, trafficking in human beings and terrorism, where appropriate; search and rescue operations for persons in distress at sea ; the identification, provision of initial information to and onward referral of persons arriving at the external borders who are in need of, or wish to apply for, international protection. The European Border and Coast Guard shall implement the European integrated border management as a shared responsibility of the Agency and of the national authorities responsible for border management, including coast guards to the extent that they carry out maritime border surveillance operations and any other border control tasks. Nonetheless, Member States shall retain primary responsibility for the management of their section of the external border. European integrated border management strategy : according to Members, the Commission should present a legislative proposal for a European integrated border management strategy setting out general guidelines, the…

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