Preliminary definitions

• Author: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (European Commission), ICF
• Pages: 1-1

Study to assess the impacts related to possible evolutions of EUROSUR - Final Report

September, 2019

1

Preliminary definitions

This study builds on several concepts and definitions of importance for the reader's

understanding of the content and findings of the report. These are:

 EBCGA: the European Agency for the Management of Operati onal Cooperation at

the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union, commonly

referred to as Frontex, was establ ished by Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004

(3). Since taking up its responsibilities on 1 May 2005, it assists Member States with

implementing the operational aspects of external border management through joint

operations and rapid border interventions, risk analysis, information exchange,

relations with third countries and th e re turn of i rregular mig rants. The EBCGA is

tasked to provide the necessary assistance for the development and operation of

the EUROSUR.

 EUROSUR: The European B order Surveillance System establishes a common

framework for the exchange of information and for the cooperation between EU

Member States and EBCGA to improve situational awareness and to increase

reaction capability at the external bo rders for detecting, preventing and combati ng

irregular immigration and cross-border crime and contributing to ensuring the

protection and saving the lives of migrants. EUROSUR components are presented in

full in section 1.3 of this proposal

 Border Surveillance: The surveillance of borders between bord er crossing points

and the surveillance o f border crossing p oints outside the fi xed opening hours, to

prevent persons from circumventing border checks.

 External E U border: EU Member States’ land borders, including river and lake

borders, sea borders and their airports, river ports, seaports and lake ports,

provided that they are not internal borders. Member States implementing EUROSUR

are EU 26 Member St ates (i.e. al l but the United Kingdom and Ireland) as well as

four Schengen Associated Countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Swit zerland).

 Situational awareness: In the context of border surveillance, it denotes the ability

to monitor, detect, identify, track and un derstand irregular cross-border activities

to find reasoned grounds for reaction measures on the basis of combining new

information with existing knowledge, and to be better able to reduce the loss of lives

of migrants at, along or in the proximity of, the external borders.

 Reaction capabilities : The ability to perform actions aimed at countering illegal

cross-border activities at, along or in the proximity of, the external borders,

including the means and timelines to react adequately.

 Joint operations: EBCGA provides technical and operational assistance to Member

States and non-EU coun tries in support of operati ons that may arise during border

surveillance operations. Joi nt operations take place at three types of border – sea,

land and air. Each op eration is b ased on risk analysis and uniquely tailored to the

circumstances identified by the Agency in one of its risk analysi s products.

 Irregular migrant: Non- EU national present on the territory of a Schengen State

who does n ot fulfil, or n o longer fulfils, the conditions of entry as set out in the

Schengen Borders Code (Regulation 562/2006), or other conditions for entry, stay

or residence in an EU State.

The concepts and definitions for the study a re presented in full in the glossary of terms in

Annex 1 of this study.