Federal Council initiates consultation on new European border and coast guard

Bern, 12.10.2016 - Today, the Federal Council initiated the consultation on the adoption and implementation of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation. This forms the basis for more extensive external border protection, which should be ensured by the EU's Frontex border agency and national border management authorities.

Last year, the EU faced extraordinarily high migratory pressure at its external borders, with an estimated 1.5 million people crossing the border illegally between January and November 2015. Because of the resulting secondary migration in the Schengen area, several Schengen states felt compelled to reintroduce border checks at their internal borders. Therefore, the Schengen area cannot be maintained as an area without internal borders in the long term unless its external borders are more effectively secured and protected.

More extensive and stronger border protection

The EU thus decided to extend and enhance European border protection. The new border control system will be comprised of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex border security agency) and the national border management authorities of the individual Schengen states. Its overriding task will be to implement integrated European border management in accordance with the principle of joint responsibility. This means that the Schengen states will maintain primary responsibility for managing their respective external borders.

Immediate deployment in crisis situations

The border security agency Frontex will be provided with a swiftly deployable pool of border guard experts (rapid reaction pool) and technical equipment. In cases where the Schengen external borders of a member state come under pressure, e.g. disproportionate migratory pressure or cross-border crime, rapid border intervention teams could be temporarily deployed either at the request of a Schengen state or by Council decision.

If the Schengen state in question does not comply with the Council decision, other Schengen states can decide to reintroduce border checks at their internal borders.

Repatriation

The border security agency Frontex will assume greater responsibility with regard to the return of migrants to their states of origin. One of its tasks is to help Schengen states by financing joint flights or organising its own return operations from requesting Schengen states.

The Federal Customs Administration (FCA), and specifically the Border Guard (BG), which already maintains the national contact point for Frontex, is responsible for the implementation of the regulation in Switzerland.

Address for enquiries

David Marquis, Communications, Federal Customs Administration FCA
Tel. 058 462 67 43, david.marquis@ezv.admin.ch