The EU Council has today decided that the EU will sign an agreement with the Republic of Serbia on operational activities being carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
The agreement will allow the EU and Serbia to organise joint operations involving Frontex and the Serbian border guards. It also means that Frontex border management teams can be deployed in Serbia, and will allow Frontex to assist Serbia in managing migratory flows, countering illegal immigration and tackling cross-border crime.
Background
The new agreement will replace the current status agreement between the EU and Serbia. The current agreement is based on the old Frontex regulation and only allows joint operations at Serbia’s border with the European Union.
Based on the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency regulation of 2019, Frontex can assist countries it signs agreements with throughout their territory and can exercise executive powers, such as border checks and registration of persons.
Frontex has border management cooperation agreements in place with Moldova (2022), North Macedonia (2023), Montenegro (2023) and Albania (2024).
Next steps
After signature, the agreement will go through a ratification or approval process, which, for the EU, involves the European Parliament giving its consent and the Council completing the final conclusion of the agreement.
Strengthening the EU’s external border (background information)