Improved control of Schengen area’s external borders

The Government has today decided that Norway will join the EU’s External Borders Fund. The purpose of the fund is to ensure uniform and adequate control of the external borders of the Schengen area and efficient management of migration flows. 

“Norway will benefit from helping to improve standards for the issuing of visas and external border control in other Schengen member states as well,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. 

The External Borders Fund ensures that the burden of carrying out external border control and managing migration flows is shared fairly between the states that participate in the Schengen cooperation. 

“Burden-sharing between the Schengen member states in the management of the external borders is a key principle of the common European policy in the field of external border management,” said the Foreign Minister. 

The budget of the External Borders Fund totals roughly EUR 1.8 billion for the period up to 2013. Norway will contribute approximately NOK 329 million in the same period. 

Norway will also receive allocations from the fund to finance projects in connection with the Schengen cooperation. This funding can be used to invest in equipment for border control and border surveillance, and to train immigration officers and consular officers. In general, the fund can cover up to 50% of project costs