Protecting borders inside the EU is the responsibility of national police forces, but the bloc's external borders must also be defended by FRONTEX, and for this the European Commission should allocate more funding, Internal Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu said on the second day of the Salzburg Forum.
Predoiu said the European Commission should invest more so that the agency can better protect the EU's external borders, adding that 'if we want a safe Europe, we must abandon naivety regarding illegal migration and the Commission should spend more on border protection'.
Catalin Predoiu participated on Monday and Tuesday in Hungary in the ministerial meeting of the Salzburg Forum - a regional dialogue platform aimed at strengthening cooperation among its member states by promoting a coordinated approach to the main risks to regional security.
On the second day of the forum, two other topics important for citizens' security were discussed: border management and migration management, with a focus on the operationalisation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the activity of FRONTEX, including status agreements.
"The Entry/Exit System (EES) - Schengen represents a step forward in European security. It has become a pillar of Schengen border management since entering into force. Romania was prepared to apply it even before joining Schengen; this preparation was another, less known element that contributed to our accession to the Schengen area, for which the Interior Ministry, the Border Police and the Directorate for European Schengen Affairs worked very hard. Romania has been applying EES since 2025 with great success, and some of the practices we introduced, such as the e-DAC application developed by the Interior Ministry with its own resources, will become a European best practice standard following the first evaluation carried out by the European Commission in Romania after joining Schengen. We have a joint working plan and cooperate well with Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, countries outside Schengen, so that the application of EES at the borders with neighbouring non-Schengen states runs smoothly," Predoiu said, according to a press release sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) to AGERPRES.
He added that, according to European Commission evaluations, Romania and the Interior Ministry represent a benchmark and a model of good practice in Europe regarding the application of the EES and, more generally, Schengen procedures and instruments.
"This means directly and concretely a secure and protected national border. But we must continue to invest in this protection in the coming years because migration pressures and public security challenges will increase. As for FRONTEX, the European Commission must invest more so that the agency can better protect the EU's external borders. Protecting borders inside the EU is the responsibility of national police forces, but the external borders must also be defended by FRONTEX. For this, the European Commission should allocate more financial resources. If we want a safe Europe, we must abandon naivety regarding illegal migration and the Commission should spend more on border protection. For example, the sums invested in protecting the borders of Bulgaria and Romania before joining Schengen have shown positive effects in reducing illegal migration figures. This is an example we can build on," Predoiu said.
During the meeting, the Romanian minister supported the improvement of the Schengen EES and the strengthening of FRONTEX in operations complementary to those carried out by national border police, without replacing them.
The Romanian official also backed increasing the level of professional training required to operate EES systems and technologies accurately, as well as strengthening a mindset suited to modern policing, including in the field of border police.
Referring to the capacity of European agencies to adapt to the new requirements of member states, the minister also stressed the importance of ensuring the resources necessary for them to fulfil their mandates efficiently, including measures to support the recruitment and retention of qualified staff, in a European labour market marked by strong competition, the MAI said.
Predoiu reaffirmed Romania's commitment, as a full Schengen member, to fulfil its responsibilities regarding the security of the EU's external borders and highlighted the steady progress made by Romanian authorities. In this context, he noted that Romania operationalised the EES at all border crossing points starting March 2, 2026, ahead of the deadline set for April 10, stressing the operational benefits already observed.
Regarding FRONTEX, the minister said the agency plays an essential role in the European architecture for protecting external borders and highlighted the concrete results achieved through operational cooperation, including in the Western Balkans and in the Republic of Moldova. He emphasised the importance of status agreements that allow operations to be conducted on the territory of partner states alongside national authorities, helping strengthen local capacities and align practices with EU standards. In this context, the minister noted that migration flows on the Western Balkans route, which have been steadily declining, confirm the usefulness of close cooperation and robust operational tools.
In this context, he stressed the importance of maintaining flexible and pragmatic cooperation with neighbours and regional partners so that they have adequate tools which, alongside national measures, support rapid responses to realities on the ground. Predoiu also supported a strengthened mandate for FRONTEX, focused on areas where the agency can generate concrete and visible operational results in managing migration and securing borders, the MAI pres release further said.
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