France committed to beef up Frontex resources

The French Presidency of the European Union is committed to reinforce Frontex, the EU's border agency, the French Ambassador to Malta, Jean-Marc Rives said yesterday.

He said Europe needed a common migration policy so that the people of Europe are more secure. Schengen is a good thing but, at the same time, we need to guard our external borders on a common basis, he said.

Reacting to a comment by former Labour Foreign Minister George Vella, Mr Rives acknowledged that Malta was disappointed with the results being achieved by Frontex but added that "we had to start from somewhere" and that it will take some time before Frontex has the effects everyone expected.

He explained that addressing the problem of irregular migration is one of the French Presidency's top priorities. In fact, France wants EU leaders to agree to a European Pact on Immigration And Asylum. While being in favour of letting legal migrants into Europe in an orderly and managed system, at the same time it will combat illegal migration, insisting that illegal entrants to the bloc's territory should be removed.

In the coming six months, France will continue working to enable Frontex to fully carry out its tasks and to become a more effective instrument of the Union's solidarity in supporting member states to tackle crises. This was why France was committed to reinforcing Frontex resources.

Replying to a question on France's commitment towards the burden-sharing principle, Mr Rives said this was the only way that this burden could be alleviated for certain member states, adding that "illegal migration will not stop overnight".

During his presentation, Mr Rives spoke about the French Presidency's top four priorities, which are an EU agreement on climate change and energy policy, a charter on migration, closer European defence cooperation and an updating exercise - but not a reform - of the common agricultural policy.

Yesterday's event, chaired by the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue Chris Said, was organised by the French Embassy and Forum Malta fl-Ewropa. This was the Forum's last event because its operations will now form part of the Malta-EU Steering Action Committee.