European Border, Coast Guard Agency comes into being

(ANSA) - Brussels, October 6 - The new European Border and Coast Guard Agency came into being on Thursday to replace the former border agency Frontex with the task of monitoring the bloc's external borders and working together with member states to identify and address external threats. "It is a historic day for border management," said European Commissioner Dimitri Avramopoulos. "From now on, the external EU border of one Member State is the external border of all Member States, legally and operationally," he added. This shows that "we have transformed the principle of shared responsibility and solidarity into reality". The new agency is directed by the former Frontex director Fabrice Leggeri and is "stronger and better equipped" with a "broader mandate and new powers".