| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2012) 590 final (23.10.12) |
| Publication Date | 23/10/2012 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Recent years have seen a sharp increase in the workload and priorities of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex). Most recently, the increased migratory pressure at the Union’s southern borders generated by the Arab spring and the deteriorating situation at the Greek external border have prompted calls from the Commission, the Council and the Parliament for the Agency to play a more active role. The Agency’s budget was increased significantly in both 2010 and 2011 to enable it to intensify its operational activities in these areas. Moreover the development of the European external border surveillance system (Eurosur), in which Frontex is to become a key player, is increasingly seen as a crucial part of the Union’s external border management as well as a means to reduce the unacceptably high number of lives lost at sea by irregular migrants seeking to enter the EU. Against this background the Agency’s mandate was amended in 2011 to enable it to respond to the new challenges and to meet the expectations of the Commission, the Council and the Parliament. The adoption of Regulation (EU) No 1168/2011 followed the submission to the European Parliament and the Council of a draft text adopted by the Commission on 24 February 2010. This draft text was not accompanied by a financial statement as the subsidy related to the Frontex Agency formed already part of the Union's budget and the Commission considered that the proposed changes would not require additional resources. However, the amended Frontex Regulation places new and increased obligations on the Agency, entails new tasks for the Agency, and specifies that certain tasks have to be carried out by certain categories of the Agency staff. While these tasks necessitate the creation of new posts such as the Fundamental Rights Officer and the Coordinating Officers for all Frontex operational activities, they were not foreseen in the Commission's legislative proposal. In the Draft Budget 2013, as a first step, the Commission proposed an increase to the establishment plan of four additional temporary agents up to the ceiling set by the Legislative Financial Statement. As the draft budget proposal of the Commission includes a reduction of 3 contract agents to implement the first instalment of the 5% staff reduction over the years 2013-2017 announced in the Commission proposals for the next multiannual financial framework of 29 June 2011, the overall head count therefore increased by a net one post. As a second step, the present communication together with the enclosed revised financial statement seeks a further increase in the Establishment Plan of eight posts, partially offset by a decrease of six in the number of seconded national experts. This is because the Agency has to replace national experts and/or contractual agents with temporary agents under the new Regulation. The net increase in the overall headcount arising from this proposal is therefore two posts. These changes are indicated in the Legislative Financial Statement attached to this Communication. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0590:FIN:EN:PDF |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs, Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
