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Sketches of future Frontex governance structure // Presidency note outlines EU agencies’ role in external migration control // Commission opens door for expanded use of Article 25a sanctions

Sketches of future Frontex governance structure

A presentation to the Working Party on Frontiers meeting of 2 December 2025 explores the governance and oversight of Frontex, ahead of its expected mandate review which has been explored in previous bulletins and analysis on the Statewatch site.

The presentation (pdf) outlines various aspects of the envisioned future governance. Despite myriad incidents of reported abuse and misconduct of Frontex officers in recent years, the presentation implores that any new structure “maintain operational agility” and “avoid unnecessary layers”.

Some allusion is made, however, to the potential need to amend the Frontex regulation to deal with serious incidents (Article 46 specifically).

Presidency note outlines EU agencies’ role in external migration control

A letter from the then-Danish presidency of the Council of the EU to the 5 December 2025 meeting of the Working Party on External Aspects of Asylum and Migration observes that the EU agencies typically involved with domestic migration control have increased their hand in external control. The letter (pdf) outlines the role of each agency and how their role in external control could be expanded.

A full analysis of the document will soon be on the Statewatch site.

Commission opens door for expanded use of Article 25a sanctions

In its communication to the European Parliament on EU Visa Policy strategy, the Commission appears to have listened to those member states keen to use Article 25a visa sanctions more widely in pursuit of deportation cooperation.

“As part of the planned legislative revision of the Visa Code, the Commission will propose a more strategic and agile mechanism for implementing Article 25a”

Alongside proposing to make it easier to deploy Article 25a in the case of non-cooperation on deportations and making sanctions more severe, the Commission also suggests using Article 25a as leverage in other related domains, “including fighting illegal migration and migrant smuggling”.