Special member state territories and the European Union

The border of the European Union consists of the land and sea borders that

member states A member state is a state that is a member of an international organization or of a federation or confederation. Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include some members that are not sovereign states ...

of the EU share with foreign states adjacent to the union.

Border status and cooperation

In 2004 the European Union developed the

European Neighbourhood Policy The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...

(ENP) for the promotion of cooperation between the EU and its neighbours to the east and south of the European territory of the EU (i.e., excluding its

outermost regions The special territories of members of the European Economic Area (EEA) are the 32 special territories of EU member states and EFTA member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside ...

outside of Europe), which, in part, includes the Cross-Border Cooperation programme aimed at the promotion of economic development in border areas and ensuring border security.

External border control

The Border and Coast Guard Agency, more commonly known as

Frontex The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, also known as Frontex (from French: ''Frontières extérieures'' for "external borders"), is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, exercising in coordination with the borde ...

, was established in 2004. Its main task is external border control of the

Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...

. Most of its activities are coordinated with the coast and border guards of member states.

List of bilateral land borders

Current borders

De facto borders

# Cyprus–Northern Cyprus border ( Green Line)

Former borders

References

External links

*Grigore Silaşi, Ovidiu Laurian Simina (eds.)
''Migration, Mobility and Human Rights at the Eastern Border of the European Union: Space of Freedom and Security''
2008, Editura Universităţii de Vest, {{ISBN, 978-973-125-160-8 *