2011 ANNUAL PROGRAMME MEMBER STATE: Republic of Latvia FUND: External Borders Fund RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY: Ministry of the Interior, Čiekurkalna 1.līnija 1, k-2 Riga, LV 1026 YEAR COVERED: 2011 1. GENERAL RULES FOR SELECTION OF PROJECTS TO BE FINANCED UNDER THE PROGRAMME 1.1. General principles for selection of projects As a general principle, the projects can be selected and implemented in two methods: • Responsible Authority acting as awarding body. In this case open call for proposals will be organised, where project applicants compete equally for application approval and financing assignment; • Responsible Authority acting as executing body. In this case the amount of financing allocated to action and the Competent Authority for the implementation of the respective action is known beforehand. This information is determined by the Management Committee while developing planning documents of the fund. In the framework of the executing body implementation method the Competent Authorities are responsible for preparation and submission of the project application to the Responsible Authority for the evaluation and approval. The Responsible Authority will approve and finance all of the project applications of the Competent Authorities that correspond to the evaluation criteria and will sign the agreement with the Competent Authorities, which will be similar to the grant agreement. For evaluation of submitted project applications within both implementation methods – the awarding body and the executing body – similar evaluation procedure will be applied. Submitted project applications will be evaluated against predefined criteria by the Project applications’ Evaluation Commission (established by the Responsible Authority) in the framework of the executing body implementation method. In the framework of the awarding body implementation method the submitted project applications will be evaluated not only by the Project applications’ Evaluation Commission, but also by the Management Committee of the Fund. The evaluation criteria of the submitted project applications are approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia and fully comply with the minimum selection criteria defined in the basic act. The 2011 annual programme was developed in accordance with 5 Priorities presented in European Commission`s (hereafter – EC) 18 October 2010 letter “Setting priorities for the use of the External Borders Fund and ensuring adequate control”. • It is planned to implement actions within the framework of all 5 actions:SIS II project (2011 – 2013); • VIS roll – out (2012 – 2013); • Consular co – operation programmes (2011-2013); • European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) (2012); • State of the art of technology (2013). Priority: VIS roll-out: 1) Ministry of foreign Affairs: According to the VIS roll-out determining the first regions for the start of operations of the Visa Information System and the exchange of data between Member States on short stay visas (including photographs and fingerprint data), Latvia has two Embassies in the regions – in Egypt and Israel. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia has equipped the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Egypt and Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Israel 1 with the necessary equipment to issue biometric visas. The equipment to capture the fingerprints will be examined as soon as possible according to the VIS implementation time schedule. At the same time a wireless network will be installed at Karsava, Indra, Grebneva, Silene, 2) The State Border Guard: Assessing the travel intensity of nationals of countries from regions determined in VIS roll-out, it is concluded that starting of verification of biometric data in the VIS there is an urgent need for its only at the border control point (BCP) of Riga Airport, but for the 2nd region it is necessary to take a number of technical upgrading of the existing border control process (technology) in support of road and rail BCP. Therefore, in 2011 the emphasis is placed on: − software implementation for ensuring border control regarding alphanumeric and biometric data verification (the software will be ready in June 2011, implementation is scheduled in July 2011, − minimum equipping of border check points – 1st line work locations will be equipped with 1-finger scanners according to the number of place of work by July 2011; − issue of visas at BCP (19) – 4-finger scanners will be installed until July 2011, it is planed with use of scanners to ensure 2nd line checks. Latvia will start checking the VIS based on the alphanumeric data 20 days after the VIS goes live. Latvia has made the necessary preparations for this purpose. Furthermore it is necessary to provide17 items of equipment, the purchase of 12 items has been applied for within the framework of another project, as well as Immigration units (18 items of equipment) with 4-finger scanners to comply with existing and future requirements laid down in regulations (SBC and VIS) In addition, it is planned to buy 20 1-finger scanners. Funding planned for 23 4-finger devices and 20 1-finger devices within the framework of the activity “Purchase of fingerprint scanners to ensure identification of persons at 2nd lines and in the territory of state” is 200 000 EUR. Currently the border checks at rail BCP (Zilupe, Kārsava, Indra) are carrying out with use of mobile devices and– it is planned to use similar technology at road BCP purchasing of 78 mobile devices. The purchased mobile devices will be allocated at road, rail BCP (Indra, Grebņeva, Silene, Pāternieki). Paternieki BCP’s, as well as Zilupe BCP will be expanded. In addition to the use of mobile devices and wireless network for verification of biometric data in the VIS the rebuilding of the mentioned BCP’s and changes of border check process would be required. To ensure checks within the territory of state it is planned to develop the software. The planned funding for the activity “VIS roll-out at BCP’s (Kārsava, Zilupe, Indra, Grebņeva, Silene, Pāternieki)” is 1 030 000 EUR. 3) Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs: Latvia continues to update National Visa Information System (NVIS) according to the technical specification (version 1.87.) drafted by European Commission, and will ensure connection between NVIS and Central Visa Information System (CVIS) in accordance with the time schedule determined by European Commission. After VIS go-life the development of NVIS will be continued, e.g. carried out modifications in NVIS code table and software, on the basis of VIS technical specification and document of 31 March 2010 drafted by European Commission “Future updates of the Visa Information System”. In order to ensure qualitative work with the updated NVIS, in the nearest future there will be carried out trainings of NVIS users; in total 120 employees from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, the State Border Guards and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will acquire knowledge and practical skills in the work with NVIS and CVIS. The training courses will be organized as “training of trainers” and in case of necessity every involved institution will be able to teach other employees. In the framework of the Activity 4.1. of 2008 and 2009 annual programmes of the External Border Fund (EBF) there is ensured necessary technical equipment for work with NVIS (biometric equipment, electronic machine-readable travel document (e-MRTD) readers, photographing 2 equipment, etc.). Thus, in the sense of acquired technical equipment Latvia is ready to ensure the first regions for the start of operation of VIS according to the VIS roll-out plan. In the framework of EBF 2009 annual programme, in the nearest future Latvia will acquire technical equipment for 25 work places for the needs of diplomatic and consular representations of the Republic of Latvia abroad (biometric data acquisition equipment, e-MRTD readers, software, etc.). Taking into consideration the first regions set out in the VIS roll-out plan, the consulates of the Republic of Latvia in the first region (Egypt) and in the second region (Israel), (in the third region Latvia has no consulate), are already ensured with necessary technical equipment for work with CVIS. In the framework of EBF 2008 and 2009 programmes, Latvia has already acquired and soon will acquire more necessary equipment for the needs of the State Border Guards: 1) Acquired 20 sets of photographing equipment (cameras, stands, background screens); 2) Will acquire 38 sets for equipping working places (biometric data acquisition equipment, e- MRTD readers, software, etc.). Thus, the forth region mentioned in the VIS roll-out plan – Schengen border-crossing points – will be fully ensured with appropriate technical equipment for work with CVIS. In the national level there is developed VIS Mail I which will be launched together with CVIS. At the moment experts from Latvia take part in the European Commission VIS Mail II working group and, after adoption of the final version of the technical specification, with the support of EBF Latvia is ready to begin development and implementation of VIS Mail II. Since the maintenance of NVIS in Latvia is the obligation of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, then it is necessary to develop and improve work organization of NVIS management team, in order to ensure effective supervision of NVIS processes at the national level. In future it is foreseen to improve business continuity plan (instructions, notification schemes, etc.), as well as to acquire necessary technical equipment and develop NVIS secondary site. Priority: European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) 1) The State Border Guard: The main task of border surveillance technical system "UNIFORM" (hereinafter - System) is to reinforce surveillance of the Latvian - Russian and Latvian - Belarus borders, to detect the illegal movement of persons across state border and movement of prohibited goods across state border. The system includes: - GPS tracking system for border patrols; - border surveillance technical means; - hardware (main server, stationary and portable work stations); - software that manages the system work in general.