WRITTEN QUESTION E-2773/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Construction of external frontier posts on Poland's eastern border

The construction of new border posts along Poland's eastern boarder has been funded by the European Union. On enlargement, strict border controls will have to be built up progressively on the eastern borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.

How much was the EU contribution to improving Poland's eastern border controls, and what are the intended arrangements for financial contributions and planning assistance for establishing border controls along the eastern frontiers of the other countries mentioned above?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

The PHARE programme has made and continues to make substantial allocations both in terms of investment and institutional building to improve eastern border management in all the candidate countries mentioned by the Honourable Member. Clearly the emphasis is on improving management of those borders that are likely to become the future Schengen external borders of the European Union. In this area, the Commission co-operates very closely with the EU Member States for both the implementation and monitoring of border projects. Both Commission and Member State experts carried out technical missions in all candidate countries in 1998-1999 and in 2000-2001 for the identification of needs in the fields of asylum, migration, border management and police & customs co-operation in the fight against organised crime.

The core approach is to assist the candidates to adopt a legal framework consistent with the acquis. The main tool in this respect is the financing of twinning arrangements between EU Member States and candidate countries. Each Twinning Covenant implies the secondment of, at least, one Pre-Accession Advisor (PAA) from one Member State and for 12 months minimum duration. Each project covers also training, study trips, equipment where necessary and short-term experts to complement the PAA. Another substantial part of the allocations is directed towards investment, i.e. the supply of equipment (transport, laboratory equipment, detection tools, etc. ) or the financing of the building/rehabilitation of appropriate infrastructure (border crossing points mainly) for ensuring the enforcement of the JHA acquis.

The PHARE Horizontal Programmes (PHP) consist of multi-country sectoral projects focused on the assistance to the establishment of strategies and on training, with a view to ensuring certain homogeneity between the candidate countries in the transposition of the acquis. Two PHARE JHA horizontal programmes of 10 million each have been established in 1996-1999 and then 2000-2003. They concentrate in the fields of border management and control, training of judges, visa, asylum, immigration, organised crime, judicial co-operation. In the field of drugs, another multi-country programme of 10 million was developed in 1999,

with the aim to developing an anti-drugs policy and strengthening the fight against drugs supply and demand. Moreover, in 2000, it was decided to allocate 1 million for each PHARE candidate country to develop a National PHARE Project to complete this PHARE Drugs Horizontal programme.

In addition to the efforts made with regard to improving border management on the future Schengen external borders of the candidate countries, significant amounts have been made available through the TACIS programme to improve the situation of the Western borders of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. Since 1996, the TACIS Cross-Border Cooperation Programme has committed 65 million to improve border infrastructure. Additional funds have been used to improve the overall border management capacity of these countries, mainly for border guard and customs services. These efforts will be continued in the future.

Poland

Since 1990, the European Commission has committed 181 million for investments in eastern border crossings in Poland and access roads to these crossings. During the same period, an additional amount of 140 million has been committed for investments and institution building in Eastern Border Management in Poland. This includes, a.o., aspects of phyto-sanitary and veterinary inspection (i.e. training of inspectors) and inspection posts on border crossings (building infrastructure and laboratory equipment), customs administration (equipment and training of customs officials), police and border guards (equipment and training). This amount includes 17,5 millon committed to twinning activities with member states on issues such as migration and asylum, border policy, visa policy, organised crime and international judicial co-operation.

Czech Republic

It is important to recall that the Czech Republic that will not have, as such, any future external Schengen borders, except the Prague International Airport. It will have however to ensure a high level of border protection with all its neighbouring countries irrespective of their status. In this context, PHARE national assistance amounted to over 11,5 million during 1997-2001.

This assistance focused mainly on:

(a) strengthening the operational capacity and training of the Border and Alien Police (prevention of illegal immigration, exchange of information, Schengen standards, etc.),

(b) setting up of a compatible National Schengen Information System (NSIS), of systems of machine-readable documents and Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS),

(c) supply of special border control equipment (notably on the border with Slovakia).

Slovakia

PHARE support has been provided to assist border management under the 1998 and 1999 programmes (about 4,65 million), and in particular the supply of technical equipment at the border crossing points with Ukraine and the improvement of the border protection strategy for the Slovak-Ukrainian border. To date, training activities/seminars have been organised in a wide range of fields including illegal immigration, police co-operation; false documents, protection of the green border, traffic and organised crime.

Hungary

In Hungary, PHARE is supporting the strengthening of external borders since 1997. Since then, more than 51 million were made available in support of border management. Most of the assistance was provided in the area of Justice and Home Affairs through training, advise in the fight against crime, equipment for information technology, green border control and visa control but also

modernisation of the infrastructure at future external border crossing points. In addition, funding was also provided to reinforce veterinary and phyto-sanitary controls through the installation of laboratory equipment. Projects were also implemented to assist the customs authorities.

Romania

PHARE support has been provided to strengthen border management under the 1999 and 2000 programmes. The PHARE 1999 border management programme (budget 10,5 million) covered elaboration of new management structures and policies for the border management services, staff training and investment in equipment. The PHARE 2000 border management programme (budget 18 million) covered further development of training, communications systems and strengthening of mobility and surveillance capacity of the border control services. Further support in this area is anticipated under future PHARE programmes for Romania.