EuropeAid

EUCAM Conference2-3 March 2009

EC support to border management in Central Asia

Patrick Doelle

Governance, Security, Human Rights and Gender

EuropeAid Cooperation Office

European Commission

EuropeAid

Why does the EC support border management reforms in Central Asia?

Following the break up of the Soviet Union and the creation of 5 new states with thousands of kilometers of new borders:

o Improve conditions for trade

o Ensure Security (i.e. fight against drug trafficking)

o Promote regional integration

Border Management in Central Asia (BOMCA)Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP)

EuropeAidIntegrated Border Management (IBM)

These 3 aspects (trade, regional cooperation, security) are covered by the concept of IBM developed by the EC:

balance between trade facilitation and border control effective and integrated system for:

intra-service cooperation (between border crossing points and with central level)

inter-agency cooperation (between customs, border guards and other competent authorities)

international cooperation (in particular between neighbouring countries)

EuropeAidBOMCA/CADAP activities (2001-today)

BOMCA: >25M€ CADAP: >21M€

construction/rehabilitation of infrastructure (border crossing points along trade routes, training centres,…)

equipment training/study tours (incl. to EU) reinforcement of dog training capacity creation of drug profiling units legal assistance institutional reform/support to the elaboration of border

management strategies support to regional cooperation and coordination

EuropeAidBorder crossing point road Almaty/Bishkek

EuropeAidDog training centre Tashkent

EuropeAid

EuropeAidBOMCA/CADAP results and challenges

In spite of many immediate BOMCA/CADAP outputs and outcomes (e.g. 7 BCP/BP constructed; 9 BCP/BP renovated; 10 training centres constructed; 13 DPU created), several challenges remain for the future:

sustainability

professionalisation of border guards

security situation

change in mentality towards IBM