On 09.05.2023, the Ministerial Conference of the Forum of Member States from the Schengen area with external land borders took place, organized by the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, in a videoconference system.
This event brought together delegates from the member states of the Forum (Finland, Poland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania) and directors of the EU agencies FRONTEX, EUROPOL, eu-LISA. The activity also benefited from the participation of Mrs. Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner for Internal Affairs. The meeting was moderated by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Lucian BODE, in the context of Romania holding the Presidency of this Forum in 2023.
The themes approached during the Ministerial Conference concerned topics of common interest, in the context of efforts to strengthen internal security at the EU level and external borders, in order to respond in particular to the challenges to external land borders, namely the implementation of European border management and challenges in implementation of Regulation (EU) 1896/2019 on the Border Police and the Coast Guard at European level.
Minister Bode emphasized that the current challenges demonstrate the importance of a stronger operational response, adapted to the size and nature of threats and risks. Like the other participants, he reiterated the fact that ensuring an adequate protection of the EU’s external borders and an effective management of the migration phenomenon can only be achieved through a coordinated effort at the national and European level, which involves the concerted efforts of all the entities involved: member states , European institutions and dedicated European agencies, both at the EU level and at the level of the external dimension, by strengthening cooperation with third countries.
At the end of the meeting, a Joint Declaration was agreed, which will be presented to the other ministers of the interior from the EU member states and Schengen associated countries on the occasion of the next meeting of the Council of Justice and Internal Affairs in June this year.
Background information
The forum of member states from the Schengen area with external land borders is a cooperation instrument created in 2013, at the initiative of Finland and Poland, „due to the need to represent and promote the interests of the respective states within the EU Council and to strengthen cooperation between them”.
The forum has 9 member states: Finland, Poland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
The activity is particularly important for Romania, the only country without de jure Schengen member status, invited to take part in the work of the Forum at the initiative of Poland, considering that it manages a very important external land border for the EU.
The membership status, acquired in 2014, also represents a recognition of the fact that Romania uses de facto, at high standards, all Schengen border security instruments and offers a strong signal regarding the special attention that our country pays subjects related to the management of external borders.
