BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Wednesday, the European Union and Serbia signed an agreement on operational cooperation in border management with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
The agreement, signed by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic in Belgrade, will allow for increased cooperation between Frontex and Serbia.
The signature finalizes the negotiations that started in May 2023 and allows to update the current framework in application since May 2021, the European Commission said.
The agreement will allow Frontex to carry out joint operations and deploy the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps anywhere on the territory of Serbia, including its borders with neighboring non-EU countries.
Frontex currently deploys more than 480 officers in the Western Balkans, through joint operations at EU's external borders with Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. this includes 111 officers already deployed in Serbia in an ongoing joint operation, conducted under the previous status agreement with Serbia, at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria.
The strengthened operational cooperation through this agreement will contribute to addressing irregular migration and further enhance security in the region.
The European Commission said that once the agreement enters into force, Frontex Standing Corps can be deployed across Serbia, including at the non-EU borders, at the request of the Serbian government.
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