Frontex airship for maritime border surveillance

6.8.2019

Question for written answer E-002529-19
to the Commission
Rule 138
Özlem Demirel (GUE/NGL)

The Greek coastguard is using an unmanned aerostat for surveillance of the maritime area off the island of Samos in the Aegean. The pilot project is being conducted in cooperation with the EU border agency Frontex and forms part of the ‘Poseidon’ operation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The tests will last one month and are intended to establish the craft’s suitability for detecting unwanted border crossings.

1. Who is the manufacturer of the airship and of the surveillance and monitoring technology being used? What is the cost of procurement?

2. What incidents has the airship identified? Which police authorities or maritime rescue coordination centres have been informed about these?

3. Is the increased surveillance of the maritime border between Greece and Turkey intended to help Turkish border guards learn more about smugglers or refugees in their sovereign waters? Is the Commission aware that this might result in more human rights violations due to infringement of the principle of non-refoulement?