The European Parliament adopted by 511 votes to 104, with 20 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Parliament gave its approval to the conclusion of the agreement.
The Status Agreement will allow for the deployment of European Border and Coast Guard teams in Northern Macedonia by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896. The Agreement was signed on 26 September 2022 in Skopje.
The Status Agreement will not only ensure transparency and accountability of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s operational cooperation with third countries, but also in order to support the efforts of the authorities of North Macedonia and to ensure a clear framework for cooperation on the management of its external borders.
The Status Agreement should also ensure the protection of Fundamental Rights and stress the duty of team members to fully respect fundamental rights and freedoms, specifically as regards access to asylum procedures, human dignity and the prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, the right to liberty, the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsions, the rights of the child and the right to respect for private and family life within the scope of the agreement.