Frontex | Rapid Intervention

The basic idea behind rapid interventions is to bring assistance to a Member State that is under urgent and exceptional pressure. The pressure relates especially to large numbers of third-country nationals trying to enter the territory of a Member State illegaly.

In the event of rapid intervention members of European Border Guard Teams (EBGT) are intended to provide short-term assistance. The host Member State remains responsible for the control and surveillance of their external borders.

Member States have a legal obligation to make their border guards available for deployment at the request of Frontex, unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks.

Deployment Procedure

The decision to deploy EBGTs for a rapid intervention is made by the Executive Director of Frontex. The final decision is preceded by a number of procedural steps:

Request of a Member State.
Information about the request from the Executive Director to the Management Board.
Assesment of the situation based on Frontex risk analysis and information provided by a Member State. The Executive Director may also send experts to the area in order to asses the situation on the spot.
Decision of the Executive Director (no later than five working days from the date of receipt of the request).
Communication on the decision to the requesting Member State and the Management Board.
If the decision is positive:

A. Preparation of the operational plan (no later than five working days from the date of the decision)
B. Selection and composition of the teams to be sent
C. Deployment (no later than five working days after the operational plan is agreed between the Executive Director and the requesting Member State)

Command

Members of the teams may perform tasks and exercise powers under instructions from and in the presence of border guards of the Member State requesting assistance.

Frontex Executive Director appoints a coordinating officer to act as an interface between the agency and the other authorities involved, monitoring the correct implementation of the operational plan.