The main role of the European Border and Coast Guard is to help provide integrated border management at the external borders. It will consist of a European Border and Coast guard agency (the current Frontex agency with expanded tasks) and those national authorities responsible for border management. The main focus of its activities will be the establishment of an operational strategy for border management and the coordination of assistance from all member states. 

The European Border and Coast Guard will start its activities once the regulation enters into force on 6 October 2016 (20 days after its publication in the Official Journal). The provisions related to the setting up of the reserve and technical equipment pools will enter into force two months after the rest of the regulation and those related to the return pools, three months after the rest of the regulation.

The official title of the new regulation is: Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on the European Border and Coast Guard. The text is available here.