Finland halfway through their BSRBCC chairmanship
In 2024, the Finnish Border Guard is serving its fourth term as the chairman of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) forum. Alongside the Finnish Border Guard, authorities from Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Estonia participate in the BSRBCC cooperation. The goal of Finland's chairmanship is to further strengthen the operational level cooperation among border and coast guard authorities in the Baltic Sea region.
Events of the first half of the chairmanship
As part of their chairmanship, the Finnish Border Guard has organised several international expert meetings in Finland during the first half of 2024. These meetings have, among others, prepared a joint risk analysis for the Baltic Sea region and addressed cross-border threats to our operational environment. Additionally, international courses on air and maritime rescue operations have been arranged during the chairmanship, along with in-depth discussions on cruise ship border controls within the EU. Furthermore, document experts from law enforcement agencies in the Baltic Sea region have convened to discuss the latest trends and phenomena in travel document examination.
During Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship, coordinated maritime surveillance operations are also being conducted in various parts of the Baltic Sea. These operations allow law enforcement authorities in the region to effectively monitor maritime areas and identify and prevent various cross-border criminal activities.
Underwater cooperation increasingly important
The main event of the chairmanship, the Baltic Sea Border Control Cooperation Underwater Seminar 2024, was organised in June. This four-day event brought together diving and underwater operations experts from coast guard authorities across the Baltic Sea region. During the event, participants shared knowledge on creating underwater situation awareness, underwater crime scene investigation and underwater rescue operations. Attendees also visited the Finnish Border Guard’s base in Lappohja and explored patrol vessel Turva’s capabilities related to underwater operations.
The Finnish Border Guard shared best practices with its international partners while learning from the international development of underwater operations. The Finnish Border Guard’s goal is for the underwater capabilities seminar to become a key and permanent part of regional authority cooperation in the Baltic Sea.
Many exciting events ahead
The Baltic Sea region aviation expert meeting organised by the Finnish Border Guard will kick off the events of the autumn. This meeting will discuss the current state of aviation operations among authorities and seek new cooperation opportunities to develop aviation-related collaboration in the Baltic Sea region. Later during the chairmanship, risk analysis work within the BSRBCC framework and the development of cruise ship border control practices will continue.
Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship will culminate in November with a chief meeting in Helsinki. At this event, the achievements of Finland’s chairmanship will be presented, and future directions for BSRBCC cooperation will be outlined. At the end of the meeting, the chairmanship of the forum will be handed over to Estonia, which will lead the cooperation of authorities in the Baltic Sea region in 2025.
External funding supporting Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has granted €135,000 in funding to the Finnish Border Guard for the implementation of the project Development of Baltic Sea Region Coast Guard Cooperation. The project, funded through the Baltic, Barents, and Arctic Area Financing (IBA) from January 2024 to February 2025, aims to support Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship actions.
Additionally, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, is participating in Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship by financially supporting events organised under the leadership of the Finnish Border Guard. Frontex also contributes by providing high-quality expertise to the events of Finland’s BSRBCC chairmanship.
Further information
Project Manager Arto Mankinen, [email protected]
