On 10 July, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) officially opened a new Regional Contingent Command office in Estonia. The office was established to strengthen the management of the European Union’s external borders in Northern and Eastern Europe.
This new Contingent command office will oversee the operations of the Frontex Permanent Unit and ensure operational coordination in eight EU Member states: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia.
The Regional Command Centre will enable Frontex to respond more quickly and flexibly to operational situations, including irregular migration, cross-border crime, and other security challenges. At the same time, it will promote enhanced cooperation between the region's Member States, thereby improving coordination and joint response capacities.
Officials from the Latvian State Border Guard are currently participating in joint operations organized by Frontex, thereby ensuring Latvia's involvement in the protection of the EU's external borders.
The opening ceremony of the Contingent command office took place at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, also known as the Frontex Partnership Academy. Speeches were made among others by the Estonian State Secretary, the Chairman of the Frontex Management Board, the Frontex Deputy Executive Director for Operations and a representative of the European Commission. The Contingent Commander also presented the operational model of the new Regional Command structure.