Reform of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) should be made without significantly expanding its mandate or reducing national sovereignty. The document, signed by Poland, Spain and eight other member states, cites changing geopolitical context and new pressures at the EU’s borders. The text calls for a stronger Frontex presence in third countries.
The position of ten EU member states—Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain—has been outlined in a non-paper presented ahead of the Commission’s Frontex reform proposal expected in the third quarter of 2026.
Asymmetric security threats
The document calls for a targeted strengthening of the Agency, emphasising that the legislative proposal must be developed with a preparedness and security perspective, in light of the changing geopolitical context and new pressures at the external borders. The signatory countries highlight how the current scenario is characterised by “asymmetric security challenges including hybrid threats and attacks in the context of external border management, such as the exploitation of migrants”.
The EU faces asymmetric security challenges including hybrid threats and attacks in the context of external border management, such as the exploitation of migrants. – Proposal for reform of Frontex
At the same time, the non-paper reiterates that “the primary responsibility for external border control lies with the member states.” Therefore, the revision of the regulation should focus on “targeted amendments to the regulation and not on a broad expansion of Frontex’s mandate”.
Supporting migrants’ returns
The text states that “a stronger Frontex presence is needed in third countries, particularly in countries of origin and transit,” through flexible tools such as operational agreements, training, and small deployments. Within this framework, a clearer legal basis is also proposed to allow Frontex to support returns from transit to countries of origin. Regarding the Standing Corps, the document prioritises qualitative improvement over rapid numerical expansion.
Duplication of Frontex’s functions with those of other EU agencies should be avoided. – Proposal for reform of Frontex
Furthermore, the document states that “duplication of Frontex’s functions with those of other EU agencies should be avoided, taking into account their respective distinct mandates, roles, and responsibilities, and ensuring efficient use of resources.” In essence, Frontex should become a more flexible agency in its external action, more effective in returns, equipped with a qualified, proportionate, and geographically diverse standing corps. Its governance must be tailored to its mandate, with useful, realistic, and verifiable vulnerability assessments.
National reserve staff, advanced technologies
The proposal also envisages the creation of a reserve of national staff, co-financed by the EU, who can be deployed in extraordinary situations. At the same time, the proposal emphasizes the importance of investing in advanced technologies, such as drones, surveillance systems, and artificial intelligence-based tools.
Finally, in terms of governance, the proposal calls for a stronger role for member states on the Frontex’s management board and a review of the vulnerability assessment mechanisms to better take into account national specificities.
