Plenary Session: EU-Serbia status agreement on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Serbia

EU-Serbia status agreement on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Serbia (A9-0019/2020 - Bettina Vollath)

I voted against the EU-Serbia status agreement on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Serbia, in line with the Greens/EFA Group.

While we fully support the progress made by Serbia towards its accession to the EU, we remain strongly concerned about the transfer of responsibility for border management and migration to third countries, especially as this transfer is intended to further limit access to asylum in the EU, and also because conditions for effective access to protection for asylum seekers in both Serbia and Montenegro are insufficient.
As regards the establishment of status agreements in general, and in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1896, the Group of the Greens/EFA had previously asked the Commission to carry out an assessment of fundamental rights in the third country in question before starting any negotiations and to promptly communicate the outcome of that assessment to the European Parliament. Such impact assessments were not carried out before the conclusion of this agreement.

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