Skip to content

Border management: agreements with non-EU countries

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) can carry out deployments and joint operations on the territory of countries neighbouring the EU, subject to the prior conclusion of a status agreement between the European Union and the country concerned.

Cooperation with third countries is an important element of European integrated border management.

Text version

Status agreements have so far been negotiated with the following countries and are currently in force or pending signature:

  • Albania (new enhanced agreement signed)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina (new enhanced agreement under negotiation)
  • Moldova (agreement in force as of 1 November 2022)
  • Montenegro (new enhanced agreement signed, provisionally applied as of 1 July 2023)
  • Republic of North Macedonia (agreement in force as of 1 April 2023)
  • Serbia (agreement in force as of 1 May 2021 and new enhanced agreement under negotiation)

* The map is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence

For more information on how the EU manages its external borders, see: