The European Parliament has rejected the annual accounts of the EU border agency Frontex. A large majority believes that the EU border guards have insufficiently monitored the protection of human rights. During the monthly plenary session in Strasbourg, it was emphasized that oversight of human rights compliance must improve significantly.
Problems have existed at Frontex for years. Therefore, the European Parliament already set conditions in 2019 for approving the 2019 annual accounts, which Frontex had to meet, such as appointing 20 inspectors to supervise Frontex operations. It has since become apparent that Frontex has not fulfilled these conditions.
In addition, confidential investigations by the anti-fraud watchdog OLAF, recently made public by Der Spiegel, show that Frontex has systematically neglected duties and responsibilities for years. Moreover, Frontex has deliberately misled both the European Parliament and the European Commission regarding this matter.
GreenLeft MEP Tineke Strik recently led an investigation into Frontex’s illegal pushbacks of refugees. “The director of Frontex stepped down this spring. But by rejecting the annual accounts, the European Parliament makes it clear that the problems have not been resolved.”
According to Lara Wolters, member of the budget control committee representing the PvdA, Frontex should regard the rejection as a vote of no confidence by the Parliament. Thijs Reuten, migration spokesperson for PvdA Europe, calls the rejection of Frontex’s annual accounts the only correct decision.
With a budget of 754 million euros in 2022, which will further increase in the coming years, Frontex is by far the largest agency of the European Union.