External borders: mandate of the Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX)

The Council discussed the issues outstanding on the revision of the rules concerning the European external borders agency Frontex.

Ministers focused on a number of outstanding issues including:

• the temporary secondment of border guards to the Frontex Joint Support Teams by Member States;
• the monitoring of return operations;
• the establishment and naming of a common pool of border guards for joint operations and Rabit intervention missions.

The goal is still to reach agreement with the European Parliament by the end of June, in line with the European Council conclusions of 24 March 2011.