On Wednesday, the 15th of June 2016, Dr. Christian Ehler, MEP, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation invited to a panel discussion about “Safe borders for a Secure Europe”. Experts from the field of EU Migration and Security policies have delivered high-level speeches: Matthias Ruete, Director General, DG Home, European Commission; Klaus Roesler, Director of Operations Division, Frontex; Brian Donald, Chief of Staff, EUROPOL; Roderick Parkes, Senior Analyst at European Union Institute for Security Studies.
Report panel discussion – Safe boarders for a Secure Europe on 15 June 2016
On Wednesday, the 15th of June 2016, Dr. Christian Ehler, MEP, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation invited to a panel discussion about “Safe borders for a Secure Europe”. Experts from the field of EU Migration and Security policies have delivered high-level speeches: Matthias Ruete, Director General, DG Home, European Commission; Klaus Roesler, Director of Operations Division, Frontex; Brian Donald, Chief of Staff, EUROPOL; Roderick Parkes, Senior Analyst at European Union Institute for Security Studies.
Special emphasis had been put on border security and management critically examining how the EU and its Member States are responding to the internal and external challenges of migration and why a concerted European approach is now required. Christian Ehler (First Vice-Chair of the EP’s Subcommittee on Security & Defence) focussed on the message that “We have to look beyond our borders […] and beyond established ideas”.
As well as Roderick Parkes, MEP Ehler outlined the problems of cross border crime, the need for more cooperation between the member states and the improvement of border management. Director General Ruete added that the European Union had to reflect its policies on irregular migration and migration smuggling. The importance of “safe European boarders” has been particularly emphasized by Mr Roesler of Frontex and Mr Donald of Europol.
