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Frontex working groups

07 December 2023

Frontex rules on the creation and functioning of internal working groups, and a chart of working groups as of early October 2023.

According to a Decision (pdf) of the Executive Director:

"’Working Groups’ means consultative bodies (such as high-level groups, networks, round tables) composed of external participants and set up by the Agency for the purpose of providing the Agency with advice and expertise on specific matters within the mandate of the Agency and which are foreseen to meet more than once"

External participants are explained in a footnote as potentially being "representatives of public authorities of Member States or third countries as well as representatives of individual or group interests, representatives of academia, or other individual experts."

The Decision also refers to "sub-groups":

"Sub-groups’ means consultative bodies in the form of permanent sub-working groups or temporary technical expert groups set up by and reporting to a Working Group for the purpose of examining specific questions within the mandate of the Working Group."

A number of existing working groups are referred to in the Decision:

a) Working Group on Boarding of Vessels,

b) (High-level) Roundtable on Document and Identity Control,

c) (High-level) Roundtable on Returns,

d) Pooled Resources Network,

e) (High-level) Working Group on Risk Analysis,

f) EUROSUR Framework Network,

g) Vulnerability Assessment Network,

h) Working Group on the Setting-up of the ETIAS Central and National Units,

i) Working Group on External Cooperation and Technical Assistance.

The agency also has two Working Groups under the responsibility of Frontex Management Board:

a) Management Board Working Group on Budget and Accounts (MB Decision 23/2021)

b) Management Board Working Group on European Integrated Border Management (MB Decision 33/2022)

A diagram (pdf) shows where the working groups fit into Frontex's structure, as well as the networks and other groups with which they are associated: for example, the High-Level Roundtable on Returns is associated with the Pre-return assistance network; the Post-Return and Reintegration Network; Direct Contact Points Return Ops; Voluntary Return Ops; and Return Data, "with RAU [Risk Analysis Unit]".

Documentation

• Decision of the Executive Director No R-ED-2023-90 on adopting horizontal rules on the creation and operation of Frontex Working Groups and continuation of existing Working Groups (Internal ref. DED-IM/2023, 4 October 2023, pdf)
  
  • ANNEX 1: Horizontal rules on the creation and operation of Frontex Working Groups and sub-groups (Internal ref. DED-IM/2023, 4 October 2023, pdf)
  • ANNEX 2: Standard rules of procedure for Working Groups and sub-groups (Interim ref. DED-IM/2023, 4 October 2023, pdf)
  • ANNEX 3: Tree of Frontex Working Groups (4 October 2023, pdf)