Background information

REGULATION (EU) No 1052/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 October 2013 establishing the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur) provides for a common framework for the exchange of information and for the cooperation between Member States and the Agency in order to improve situational awareness and to increase reaction capability at the external borders of the Member States of the Union (‘external borders’) for the purpose of detecting, preventing and combating illegal immigration and cross-border crime and contributing to ensuring the protection and saving the lives of migrants (‘EUROSUR’).

Entry into force

According to Article 24 of the above-mentioned Regulation, it shall apply from 2 December 2013. EUROSUR will be operational in 30 countries in total. In this first phase, it will become operational in 19 countries, the 18 EU Member States at the southern and eastern external borders and the Schengen associated country Norway. As of 1 December 2014, the remaining 8 EU Member States and 3 Schengen associated countries will join EUROSUR. Ireland and the United Kingdom do not take part in the Schengen cooperation and therefore also not in EUROSUR.

The backbone of EUROSUR is formed by 'national coordination centres', via which all national authorities with a responsibility for border surveillance (e.g. border guard, police, coast guard, navy) are required to cooperate and to coordinate their activities. Information on incidents occurring at the external land and sea borders, the status and position of patrols as well as analytical reports and intelligence are being shared via 'national situational pictures' among these national authorities.

The EU border agency Frontex plays an important role in bringing together and analysing in the 'European situational picture' information collected by Member States, thereby detecting changing routes or new methods used by criminal networks. This European situational picture also contains information collected during Frontex joint operations and on the pre-frontier area. Furthermore, Frontex supports Member States in detecting small vessels by closely cooperating with other EU agencies, such as the European Maritime Safety Agency and the EU Satellite Centre.

The EUROSUR Regulation clearly stipulates that Member States and Frontex need to fully comply with the principles of non-refoulement and human dignity when dealing with persons in need of international protection. Since the exchange of information in EUROSUR is restricted to operational information, such as the location of incidents and patrols, the possibility to exchange personal data is very limited.

More information in Europa press release from 29 November 2013