EU summit to look at new border agency plan

The Czech prime minister is welcoming a proposal by the EU’s executive Commission to create a European border and coast guard agency aimed at improving the protection of the bloc’s external borders.

The move has been described as the biggest proposed transfer of sovereignty since the creation of the euro.

The proposals were released amid news that the flow of migrants from Turkey to Greece had dropped by more than half in November to 108,000, marking the first monthly decline of the year.

The new body can deploy border guards from the standby pool drawn from other national border guard forces.

When the border force would be deployed is a delicate issue yet to be negotiated. The officers will carry service weapons, be authorised to fire them in self-defence. The mandates of the European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency will be aligned to the new European Border and Coast Guard. Still, the European Union has planned a 2016 budget for the agency of $260 million.

Guaranteeing Internal Security: The Agency will include cross-border crime and terrorism in its risk analysisand cooperate with other Union agencies and global organisations on the prevention of terrorism, in full respect of fundamental rights.

Britain, outside of Schengen, will continue to patrol its own borders.

Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said bickering over narrow national interests was a step back in time, and said integration in times of crisis was especially crucial given the history of devastating wars in Europe. One noted, “Years will pass before this thing flies”.

Downing Street said more help could be offered.

Still, many Europeans perceive a need for stepped up control of the external borders.

While Ireland and Britain are not part of the Schengen travel-free area, the new proposal would mean Irish and British passport-holders would be subject to mandatory passport checks when entering Schengen and European Union areas.

“States may not agree”.

“In case of crisis, the force should be used only with request and consent of the country”, he added.

According to Reuters, Timmermans conceded, “There is a lot of debate about us imposing our will on member states”. They will discuss taking in Syrians directly from Turkey under an additional scheme which member states would be able to join voluntarily. There will no longer be shortages of staff or equipment for European border operations.

Boats from the European Frontex border agency were assisting.

“All pretence has now been discarded and the Commission will now openly act against a member state’s wishes and operate within its borders without permission”.

“There’d be an undemocratic structure reporting to no one knows who”.

Speaking in Brussels on Monday Minister for Foreign affairs Charlie Flanagan said he would expect Ireland to “play its part” in any new border initiative.

“We want to defend everything Schengen represents, and let me tell you that Schengen is here to stay”, he told the European Parliament.