October 26 (SeeNews) - The European Commission said it will increase its support for border and migration management in the Western Balkans by providing 39.2 million euro ($39.3 million) in assistance and recommending an upgrade of the status agreements between the EU's border agency Frontex and four countries in the region.
The new assistance package adopted by the Commission under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) is aimed at strengthening border management in the Western Balkans, mainly through the provision of specialised equipment, the EU's executive body said in a press release on Tuesday.
The Commission has also adopted a recommendation to the Council to authorise the opening of negotiations of upgraded Frontex status agreements with Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The new agreements will allow Frontex standing corps to be deployed in a third country both at the EU border and at the borders with the third countries and exercise the executive powers, thus better supporting and strengthening cooperation on border management in the Western Balkans, the Commission said.
Under the existing status agreements with Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, deployment of the standing corps may only take place at the countries' borders with the EU and without exercising executive powers. Negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina were finalised in 2017 but the status agreement has not been signed yet.
Frontex concluded its status agreement with Albania in October 2018, with Montenegro in October 2019 and with Serbia in November 2019.
Frontex is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, tasked with border control of the European Schengen Area, in coordination with the border and coast guards of Schengen Area member states, according to its website.
($ = 0.997850 euro)