Implementing Court of Auditors' recommendations makes FRONTEX stronger

The EPP Group wants FRONTEX, the European Border and Coast Guard, to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors to become stronger and more effective in protecting Europe's external borders.

“The report by the European Court of Auditors has come at the right time. The investigations and hearings by the FRONTEX Control Body also focus on the implementation of the mandate reforms and the internal management of the Agency. FRONTEX is aware of the shortfalls and has been carefully addressing them", said Lena Düpont, EPP Group Vice-Coordinator in Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

“However, a closer look at the Court of Auditors' assessment also makes it clear that some of the outstanding points lie outside of FRONTEX's influence and depend to a large extent on the often inadequate and, above all, inconsistent behaviour of the Member States", Düpont continued.

The EPP Group calls on all the Institutions to support the European border and coast guard FRONTEX in the performance of its crucial role in securing the EU’s external borders. The Agency itself, the European Commission, Parliament and, above all, the Member States must ensure that the recommendations by the European Court of Auditors are effectively implemented.

Over the last several years, FRONTEX has undergone a massive transformation and has been assigned new tasks that would have challenged any organisation, especially in the times of the COVID pandemic. Nevertheless, FRONTEX has delivered on the vast majority of its duties under the new regulations to support Member States at their external borders, despite numerous difficulties. FRONTEX has a crucial role to protect our external borders and it is at the very core of the EU justice and home affairs strategy.

The Court of Auditors' audit did assess whether FRONTEX has so far made an effective contribution to the implementation of European integrated border management and had supported Member States in preventing, detecting and combating illegal immigration and cross-border crime.

“The Court of Auditors completes Parliament's important work in exercising democratic control”, continued Düpont. “FRONTEX has also accepted all earlier recommendations by the European Court of Auditors. Their implementation calls for a combined effort of FRONTEX, the European Commission and Member States. Together, we will continue our work to protect the European area of freedom, security and justice, with the support of the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps”, she concluded.