The Working Party on Frontiers deals “in particular with measures relating to the crossing of external and internal borders of the Schengen states,” and “questions related to the EU agency for the management of external borders, Frontex.”
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Please note: All documents listed (whether officially numbered or referred to otherwise, for example as a presentation) have been requested by Statewatch. If there is a link to the document, the request was successful or it has been obtained via other means. If there is no link to a document, the request is still pending. Where access has been refused or only partial access has been granted a note is included. Text in square brackets is an addition to the original agenda.
MIXED COMMITTEE
1. Adoption of the agenda
[CM 1932/2/24 REV 2]
2. Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the evaluation of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard, including a review of the Standing Corps
– Presentation by the Commission
– Exchange of views
– 7372/24 [Discussion paper produced by the Belgian Presidency: "The Working Party on Frontiers, which meets on 20 March 2024, will focus on situational awareness, the Standing Corps, and capability development."]
[The evaluation has also been discussed by the External Aspects of Migration Working Party and the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum, with separate discussion papers circulated and published on the respective pages as part of this archive.]
3. External border management activities in the second half of 2023
– Presentation by Frontex
4. Implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)
– State of play by the Commission and eu-LISA
5. Agreements with Andorra and San Marino on several aspects in the field of border management
– Presentation by the Commission
6. Follow up to the Council Decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, including the follow up to the implementation of the declarations to the Council Decision
– Presentation by the Commission
– WK 2560/2024 REV 1
– Reactions by delegations
7. AOB
– Amendment to the Schengen Borders Code: Information by the Presidency
– Conference on identity management: Presentation by the Presidency
– Border checks at airports on crew members
– Note from the Croatian delegation 7775/24
– Visa and border procedures for members of the Olympic family in the context of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris: Presentation by the French delegation
WORKING PARTY ON FRONTIERS
8. Frontex status agreements and working arrangements
a) State of play of ongoing negotiations
- Update by the Commission
b) Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Serbia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of Serbia
Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Serbia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of Serbia
- Presentation by the Commission and discussion
9. AOB
MIXED COMMITTEE
1. Adoption of the agenda
2. Frontex Vulnerability Assessment - Biannual Report 2/2023
16433/23 RESTREINT [Frontex Vulnerability Assessment - Biannual Report 2/2023, request for access denied by the Council: “redaction would be disproportionate in relation to the parts that are eligible for disclosure, simultaneously undermining the principle of sound administration.” Further reasons invoked for non-disclosure by the Council were that the document contains “sensitive operational information/data”; “modus operandi (cooperation with Member States)”; “Relations with Third Countries”; “Ongoing international negotiations”; “Vulnerability Assessment”; “Number and profile of Human Resources”; “Number and type of technical equipment”; “Operational Area”; and “Personal data”.]
3. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders
– Introduction by the Presidency on the state of play of the negotiations, including the timeline for their finalisation
– Exchange of views
4. European Integrated Border Management: Preparation of national strategies
– Presentation by the Presidency
– Exchange of views
16635/23 [Belgian Presidency document, 'European Integrated Border Management: Preparation of national strategies': "Member States should clearly outline the current and future allocation of both human and financial resources, develop a system to monitor progress, and ensure effective implementation of the strategy. In addition, a centralised governance structure should regularly review and update the strategy in order to reflect changes and adaptations to evolving circumstances and to improve its effectiveness. An integrated planning process for border management and return should also be developed, including operational planning, contingency planning and capability development planning processes."]
5. AOB
WORKING PARTY ON FRONTIERS
6. State of play of the negotiations on Frontex status agreements and working arrangements
– Update by the Commission
7. AOB
MIXED COMMITTEE
1. Adoption of the agenda
2. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders.
– Debriefing by the Presidency on the kick-off trilogue and technical meetings
– Exchange of views on the main issues in the negotiations
3. Situation on the reintroduction of internal border controls and their prolongation
– Presentation by the Commission of the report on the consultations carried out
– Information on the Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in case C-143/22 - Presentation by the Council Legal Service
= Exchange of views
4. State of play of the implementation of the EES/ETIAS
– Presentation by eu-LISA [WK 15748/2023]
5. European Integrated Border Management: Technical and Operational Strategy
– Presentation by Frontex [WK 15743/2023. One of the goals listed in the presentation is "Achieve Effective Cooperation with Third Countries," for which the success measure is "Increased Information Exchange and Joint Operational Intelligence-Led Risk-Based Activities Carried out with Third Countries," but there is no further detail. Under the heading "Next Steps" is "Promoting European Integrated Border Management Standards to Third Countries," but again there is no further detail.]
6. Frontex-Interpol Electronic Library Documents System
– Presentation by Frontex and Interpol [WK 15744/2023. Presentation on the FIELDS system managed by Frontex and Interpol, which gives border guards access to examples/specimens of identity documents for comparison with real ones, with the aim of detecting forgeries.]
7. Report on the functioning of Eurosur
– Presentation by Frontex [WK 15746/2023. A heavily-censored presentation on a report provided by Frontex to the European Parliament and the Council every two years, this edition covering December 2021-November 2023. Almost the entire content of the presentation has been blanked out.]
8. Evaluation of the EBCG Regulation
– State of play by the Commission
9. Information on international seminars carried out by the Spanish Presidency, in relation to Spain’s status as the external border of the EU
– Presentation by the Spanish delegation
10. Work programme of the incoming Belgian Presidency
– Presentation by the Belgian delegation
11. AOB
– Common minimum standards for land border surveillance – Presentation by the Lithuanian delegation
- Situation at the eastern border of Finland – Information by the Finnish delegation
WORKING PARTY ON FRONTIERS
12. State of play on Frontex status agreements and working arrangements
– Update by the Commission
13. AOB
MIXED COMMITTEE
1. Adoption of the agenda
2. Report on cooperation between Frontex and third countries in 2022
11863/1/23 REV 1 [Report on cooperation between Frontex and third countries in 2022. An overview of discussions and negotiations with non-EU states, as well as operational activity. Countries mentioned include Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Iraq, Moldova, Kosovo, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Ivory Coast, Togo, and others.]
– Presentation by Frontex [WK 11420/2023]
– Exchange of views
– 12560/23 (to be issued) [Note from the Spanish Council Presidency entitled 'Synergies in and cooperation on the external dimension and borders': "Taking into account the importance of the external dimension of Frontex and in view of the evaluation of the Regulation, the Presidency believes it is necessary to address different aspects in this area," with questions on the most effective tools for cooperation between Frontex and third states; whether there is enough coordination between Frontex and member state external action; whether Frontex should coordinate better with other EU agencies on externalisation.]
3. External border management activities in the first half of 2023
– Presentation by Frontex [WK 11419/2023]
– 12561/23 (to be issued) [Report from Frontex, 'External border management activities in the first half of 2023'. "In the first half of the year, Frontex implemented 21 Joint Operations (JOs) in 296 deployment locations. Currently Frontex deploys more than 2800 staff."]
4. Eastern Partnership Annual Risk Analysis 2023 report
– Presentation by Frontex [WK 11418/2023]
– WK 10775/23 [Eastern Partnership Annual Risk Analysis 2023 report, request for access denied by the Council: “redaction would be disproportionate in relation to the parts that are eligible for disclosure, simultaneously undermining the principle of sound administration.” Further reasons invoked for non-disclosure by the Council were that the document contains “sensitive operational information/data”; “modus operandi (cooperation with Member States)”; “Relations with Third Countries”; “Ongoing international negotiations”; “Vulnerability Assessment”; “Number and profile of Human Resources”; “Number and type of technical equipment”; “Operational Area”; and “Personal data”.]
5. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council introducing a screening of third-country nationals at the external borders and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/817
– Debriefing of the technical meetings
6. Pilot projects in Bulgaria/Romania on accelerated asylum procedures, effective returns, border management and cooperation with neighbouring countries
– Update by the Commission and Bulgaria/Romania
7. AOB
WORKING PARTY ON FRONTIERS
8. State of play on Frontex status agreements and working arrangements
– Update by the Commission
9. AOB
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