Finland Times

 

Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen. Photo - Lehtikuva

Interior ministers of the Schengen states with EU external land borders are scheduled to sit for a two-day meeting from September 12 in Lappeenranta of Finland, says an interior ministry press release.

 

The Finnish and Polish interior ministers have already invited their counterparts from Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia – the Schengen states with eastern external land borders, to sit in the informal meeting.

 

Besides the ministers, public officials from the participating countries, Europol director, Frontex executive director, and senior management from the Finnish interior ministry and its agencies have also been invited. Around 20 guests are expected to attend.

 

‘It has become evident that Schengen states with external land borders face similar challenges.

 

We lack a common voice on EU home affairs, and are easily overshadowed by southern Member States, for example when dealing with issues such as the funding of border control,’ says Finnish Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, who is scheduled to chair the meeting, talking about the meeting’s objectives.

 

The Lappeenranta meeting is also aimed at deepening co-operation between the Schengen states. In addition, the meeting will discuss the significance of land borders for EU internal security, cross-border traffic flows into the Union, and immigration.

 

Another goal of the event is to establish a forum for regular co-operation between the home affairs ministers of Schengen states and to explore whether co-operation could also be extended to other countries with external land borders of the EU.