Reg. No. 5865 Consolidated Annual Activity Report 2018 12 June 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 6 1. DEVELOPMENTS 8 1.1. THE SITUATION AT THE EXTERNAL BORDERS IN 2018 ........................................................... 8 1.2. DEVELOPMENTS AT POLICY LEVEL .............................................................................. 10 1.3. NEW MANDATE OF THE EUROPEAN BORDER AND COAST GUARD AGENCY ....................................... 13 2. STRATEGIC ACTION AREAS 14 2.1. EUROPEAN INTEGRATED BORDER MANAGEMENT ............................................................... 14 2.2. EUROPEAN COOPERATION ON COAST GUARD FUNCTIONS ...................................................... 18 2.3. OPERATIONAL RESPONSE ..................................................................................... 24 2.4. RETURN ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................... 27 2.5. ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................... 29 2.5.1. RISK ANALYSIS........................................................................................... 29 2.5.2. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT ............................................................................ 31 2.6. MANAGEMENT OF POOLED RESOURCES ........................................................................ 32 2.7. TRAINING ..................................................................................................... 36 2.8. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION .................................................................................. 42 2.9. SITUATION MONITORING ...................................................................................... 45 2.10. INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN COOPERATION ............................................................... 46 2.11. MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ............................................................................... 50 2.12. FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS ....................................................................................... 51 2.13. DATA PROTECTION ........................................................................................... 55 2.14. GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................. 56 3. KEY RESULTS AND PROGRESS TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES OF FRONTEX 62 3.1. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ................................................................................ 62 3.2. KEY CONCLUSIONS ON MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL .................................................. 68 4. BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 69 4.1. IMPLEMENTATION OF APPROPRIATIONS ......................................................................... 69 4.2. INFORMATION ON TRANSFERS AND AMENDING BUDGETS ......................................................... 71 4.3. IMPLEMENTATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FROM 2017 CARRIED FORWARD TO 2018 .............................. 72 4.4. PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES ................................................................................... 72 4.5. LATE PAYMENTS — INTEREST PAID TO SUPPLIERS ............................................................... 73 4.5. NEGOTIATED PROCEDURES – POINT 1 – ANNEX I TO FINANCIAL REGULATION ................................... 73 4.6. AD HOC GRANTS AND DELEGATION AGREEMENTS ................................................................ 74 4.7. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT .............................................................................. 74 4.8. ASSESSMENT BY MANAGEMENT .................................................................................. 79 5. MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL 81 5.1. CONTROL RESULTS ............................................................................................. 82 5.2. AUDIT OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................. 88 5.3. ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEM ...................................... 92 5.4. CONCLUSIONS AS REGARDS ASSURANCE ......................................................................... 93 6. DECLARATION OF ASSURANCE 94 2 ANNEX 1 - ANNUAL REPORT ON PUBLIC ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS .................................................... 95 ANNEX 2 - ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE ........................................................................... 97 ANNEX 3 - HUMAN RESOURCES – ESTABLISHMENT PLAN ............................................................. 98 ANNEX 4 - RESOURCES PER ACTIVITIES – WORK PROGRAMME 2018 ............................................... 101 ANNEX 5 – DRAFT ANNUAL ACCOUNTS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS .................................................. 179 3 Glossary BN Annual Bilateral Negotiations ABC Automated Border Control AFIC Africa–Frontex Intelligence Community BCP Border Crossing Point CELBET Customs Eastern and South-Eastern Land Border Expert CCC Common Core Curriculum CCWP Customs Cooperation Working Party CSDP Common Security and Defence Policy CIRAM Common Integrated Risk Analysis Model CRO Collecting Return Operation DG Directorate-General EASO European Asylum Support Office EC European Commission ECRet European Centre for Returns EBCG European Border and Coast Guard EBCG Day European Border and Coast Guard Day EFCA European Fisheries Control Agency EFS Eurosur Fusion Services EMPACT European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats EMSA European Maritime Safety Agency ETIAS European travel information and authorisation system EUBAM European Union Border Assistance Mission Eunavfor MED European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Europol European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation Eurosur European Surveillance System FER Frontex’ Evaluation Report FISRoP Frontex’ Internal Structure and Rules of Procedure FAR Frontex Application for Return FLO Frontex Liaison Officer FRE Forced-Return Escort FRM Forced-Return Monitors FRO Fundamental Rights Officer Frontex European Border and Coast Guard Agency HR Human Resources IAS Internal Audit Service ICC International Coordination Centre ICF Internal Control Framework ICS Internal Control Standard ICT Information and Communication Technology IPA Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance IT Information Technology JAD Joint-Action Day JHA Justice and Home Affairs JO Joint Operation 4 JORA Joint Operation Reporting Application JRO Joint Return Operation LPU Legal and Procurement Unit MAS Multipurpose Aerial Surveillance OSINT Open Source Intelligence RAU Risk Analysis Unit REX Rapid Intervention Exercise RPAS Remotely-Piloted Aircraft System SAC Schengen associated country TCN Third Country National THB Trafficking in Human Beings TRU Training Unit 5 Introduction Article 68(3)(d) of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation(1) stipulates that each year the Executive Director shall prepare the annual activity report on the agency’s activities and submit it to the Management Board. Article 62(2)(i) of the European Border and Coast Guard regulation states that the Management Board shall adopt an annual activity report of the agency for the previous year and forward it, by 1 July at the latest, to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors. To guide the readers and recipients of the information the report has been divided into three main parts, the first two of which form the Annual activity report 2018. I. The first part (1. Developments; and 2. Strategic action areas) of the annual activity report contains comprehensive and easily understandable information regarding Frontex’s work. It outlines: the situation at the external borders in the course of 2018, developments at policy and agency level, the new and enhanced mandate of the agency; and the main activities in each of the strategic action area during 2018. It also reports on: cooperation with third countries, the way in which fundamental rights underpin Frontex’s coordinated activities, public access to documents and the management of sensitive operational information. As stated in Article 26 and Article 28(8) of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation, the main activities in each of the strategic action areas also provide a comparative analysis of the results of evaluations of core operational activities with a view to enhancing the quality, coherence and effectiveness of future activities. As stated in Article 47 of the Frontex financial regulation (2), the authorising officer shall report to the Management Board on the performance of his duties in the form of an annual activity report and submit it for assessment. No later than 1 July each year the report, together with its assessment, shall be sent by the Management Board to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors. II. The second part (3. Key results and progress towards the achievement of general and specific objectives; 4. Budgetary and financial management; and 5. Management and internal control) represents a major instrument for accountability management and constitutes the basis on which the Executive Director as the authorising officer takes his responsibility for: the management of human and financial resources with reference