The European Council today endorsed an agreement between the European Parliament and European Commission on the latter’s proposal on a European Border and Coast Guard.

This will pave the way for the reinforced agency to be up and running this summer. The European Border and Coast Guard will combine a new reinforced agency, building on the foundations laid by Frontex, with the ability to draw on a reserve pool of people and equipment.

Member states will continue to keep their competence and sovereignty over their borders. They will continue to manage the external border day to day. But crucially, the European Border and Coast Guard will provide support to all members and be able to identify and intervene to address weaknesses in advance, and not when it's too late.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: "The agreement on the creation of a European Border and Coast Guard shows that Europe is able to act swiftly and resolutely to deal with common challenges.

“This is an idea whose time has clearly come: The Commission said it back in May 2014, and I said it during my election campaign – that we need to strengthen Frontex significantly and develop it into a fully operational European Border and Coast Guard system... As of now, Europe treats the protection of its borders as a common mission of solidarity."

The European Border and Coast Guard is expected to provide the missing link to strengthen Europe's external borders, so that people could continue to live and move freely within the European Union – helping live up to Europe's commitment to get back to the normal functioning of the Schengen area and the lifting of temporary internal border controls by the end of the year, as set out in the Commission's Back to Schengen Roadmap of March 4.