| 20 April 2007 Against the background of recurring migration flows via the Mediterranean and the Atlantic towards Europe, the Council and the Commission consider it a priority to give Frontex the necessary means and competences for supporting the Member States under particular strain to tackle this challenge. Federal Interior Minister Dr. Schauble said in Luxembourg on 20 April that "the citizens expect Europe to provide effective protection of its common external borders. Therefore it is the declared aim of our Presidency to further develop the operability of the European Border Management Agency Frontex in order to improve the protection of the external borders of the European Union and intensify border police cooperation. The Regulation establishing a mechanism for the creation of Rapid Border Intervention Teams is proposed. The Rapid Border Intervention Teams created by the regulation will be composed of experts from Member States and be made available by Frontex at short notice to any Member State whose borders are under a particular threat and strain by illegal migration. Basically, all Member States are requested to contribute to the human resources pool to be set up by Frontex. The targeted initial personnel strength will be some 450 officers; this is a number already envisaged by the Frontex Management Board. Furthermore, the draft regulation contains provisions on the tasks and competences of guest officers involved in Frontex operations. This will make joint operations coordinated by Frontex even more effective. At the meeting the Council dealt with the development of a European Patrols Network for the southern sea borders. This patrols network defines surveillance areas at flashpoints of illegal migration which will in future be regularly controlled by surveillance vessels. | 
