Strasbourg 17 April,
A strong and cohesive European Union can only be safeguarded with a well-functioning control at the external borders. That was the message of MEP Željana Zovko during the debate regarding the European border and coast guard.
Today the European Parliament adopted a report that strengthens the EBCG agency, by increasing the standing corps up to 10 000 forces, improving the equipment and facilitating the implementation of the return of irregular individuals. Besides this all, the agency has now the competence to cooperate more strongly with third countries to manage the Union’s migration policy.
Ms Zovko pointed out that Croatia is a clear example of the importance of a strict external border control. This country has the longest external border of the EU and its security forces are working rigorously to guarantee the protection of the Croatian and European citizens as well as the EU internal market. Croatia has already a good cooperation with the EBCG agency, what has led to concrete results.
The next step, according to Ms Zovko, is to engage all our partners and third countries to cooperate and to provide technical and operational support. Only in this way we can anticipate and react to crisis situations at the EU border and in non-EU countries.