Better borders

The EU parliament on Tuesday agreed on handing the European Union's border agency Frontex more powers, including the ability to acquire its own helicopters and cars to patrol the bloc's frontiers.

The new plans are aimed at ensuring Frontex is more independent from the member states in the future as well as making sure that border protection officers do not violate human rights.

The European passport-free Schengen area "does not work without effective border control," said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, who is behind the proposals.

"At the same time, we need to ensure that those people seeking protection in Europe are treated in a way that's in line with our values and international law," Malmström said.

Frontex stepped in to help Greece last year after the country lost control of its border with Turkey, and intervened again in February to help Italy when migrants from north Africa landed in Lampedusa, a small southern Italian island off the coast of Libya.

The move to strengthen Frontex is seen as a reaction to a series of unilateral moves earlier this year.

Paris reintroduced border controls to stem an influx of African migrants trying to enter France via Italy. Denmark did the same at its border with Sweden to check on organized crime movements.

It's expected that the member states will rubber-stamp the new proposals for Frontex, which would mean the new powers could come into effect as early as by the end of this year.

Author: Nicole Goebel (dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Andreas Illmer