25/04/2013 Session
Strasbourg, 25.04.2013 – Although the EU’s border agency FRONTEX has recently taken steps to deal more effectively with its human rights obligations, concerns remain that these may not be enough, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has said in a resolution on the agency adopted today in Strasbourg.
Approving a report by Mikael Cederbratt (Sweden, EPP), PACE pointed out that FRONTEX had initially been “ill-equipped” to tackle the many human rights implications of its work, noting a lack of clarity over its liability and responsibilities in joint operations with EU member states, and a lack of transparency in its activities.
The Assembly welcomed recent changes – such as a new code of conduct and the creation of a Fundamental Rights Officer and forum – but said it remained concerned “about whether these changes are sufficient and whether they are operable and effective”.
The parliamentarians spelled out the detailed standards that FRONTEX should uphold, especially when it is involved in intercepting irregular migrants, asylum seekers and refugees at borders or at sea, or during return operations.
It also called on the agency to be more transparent about its operations on the ground, train its staff in human rights matters, and monitor its own human rights record more effectively. The European Parliament’s role in scrutinising FRONTEX’s activities should also be enhanced, the Assembly said.