The European Union’s border and coast guard agency, Frontex, and the Republic of Serbia have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing border management operations. This new agreement replaces the framework introduced in 2021 and finalizes negotiations that began in May 2023. According to the agreement document, Frontex will now be authorized to carry out joint operations and deploy the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps throughout Serbia.
Frontex currently has over 480 officers deployed in the Western Balkans, of which 111 are already stationed in Serbia. The agency also manages border management cooperation agreements with Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania. As stated in the European Commission’s press release, this cooperation is part of the EU’s broader Action Plan on the Western Balkans, which aims to reduce migratory pressures and enhance security across the region. The Action Plan was introduced in 2022 to address the challenges posed by the Western Balkans route, a significant migratory pathway into Europe that saw peak activity in 2015.
The final implementation of this agreement in Serbia is contingent upon approval processes involving the European Parliament, the EU Council, and Serbia’s national ratification procedures. For more details, visit the full article on JURIST.