Conference of the Heads of Services of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation forum (BSRBCC)
From November 28, 2023 till November 30, 2023 a Conference of the Heads of Services of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation - BSRBCC forum was held in Sopot, Poland.
The conference was organized as part of the Polish Border Guard Presidency of the BSRBCC in 2023, in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
Guests – delegations of the heads of border and police authorities from the BSRBCC member states: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden as well as a delegation of the Frontex Agency, represented by the Head of Coast Guard and Law Enforcement Unit Mr. Kari LOUKKAANHUHTA, and the Director General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Mr. Grzegorz Marek POZNAŃSKI were welcomed by the Host of the conference, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Border Guard, Brigadier General Grzegorz NIEMIEC.
The conference was attended also by the Commander of the Maritime Border Guard Division, Rear Admiral Andrzej PROKOPSKI, the Commandant of the Border Guard Training Center, Colonel Adam PACUK and Directors of the Border Management Directorate, International Affairs Bureau and Situational Awareness Bureau of the Border Guard Headquarters. The conference was conducted by the Maritime Border Guard Division, with participation of the experts of the Situational Awareness Bureau and Border Management Directorate of the Border Guard HQ.
The main purpose of the conference was to summarize the activities carried out under the Action Plan of the Polish Presidency of the BSRBCC in 2023 as well as to present the Annual Threat Assessment Report for the Baltic Sea region, to discuss the results of joint operations carried out this year in cooperation with the BSRBCC member states, to present the Action Plan of the Finnish Border Guard Presidency of the BSRBCC in 2024 and to point out further directions of cooperation within the forum. Moreover, the Heads of services discussed current threats in the Baltic Sea region, with particular emphasis on the protection of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea basin and they addressed the challenges in the face of the current migration crisis in the region as well.
The guests also paid a visit to the 1st Aviation Unit of the Border Guard Aviation Bureau at its seat in Gdańsk city. They had a chance to see the aircraft used by the Maritime Border Guard Division for the sea border surveillance and deployed by the Polish Border Guard to take part in operations coordinated by Frontex on the external EU borders.
At the end of the conference the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Border Guard, Brigadier General Grzegorz NIEMIEC ceremoniously handed over the presidency of the BSRBCC to the Finnish Border Guard, represented by Captain (CG) Juha VUOLLE, which will preside the forum in year 2024.
In the framework the Polish Presidency of the BSRBCC, the Polish Border Guard undertook a total of 13 different activities in which the forum’s representatives, experts from the Frontex Agency and invited guests (CBSS – Council of the Baltic Sea States, EMSA – European Maritime Safety Agency) actively participated. The experts’ meetings were chaired by representatives of the Maritime Border Guard Division, Situational Awareness Bureau of the Border Guard HQ, Border Guard Training Center in Kętrzyn, Nadburzański Border Guard Division with the participation of experts from the Border Management Directorate of the Border Guard HQ.
photos WO (BG) Paweł Kowaleczko (BGHQ)
2nd Meeting of the Cruise Ship Experts
2nd Cruise Ship Meeting was held on November 7-9, 2023 in Sopot. The meeting was conducted by the Polish Border Guard in the framework of the Polish Presidency of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation forum, in cooperation with the German Federal Police and support of the Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
The border and police experts in the field of cruise ship border checks from the BSRBCC Member States: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as representatives of border and police services from Belgium, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal, as well as experts from the Frontex Agency attended the meeting.
Commander of the Maritime Border Guard Division Rear Admiral BG Andrzej Prokopski welcomed the guests. The main purpose of the meeting was to assess the shipping season for cruise ships in year 2023 and develop uniform set of recommendations for border procedures for cruise ships. During the meeting, the conclusions from the implementation of the 1st Cruise Ship Meeting, organized in an online format in April this year, were summarized. Moreover, in connection with the planned implementation of the Entry / Exit System, a continuation of meetings for cruise ship experts is planned. They will be conducted by the Finnish Border Guard in year 2024, as part of Finland's Presidency of the BSRBCC forum.
2nd meeting of the Baltic Border Committee Experts
The meeting of experts of the Baltic Border Committee, planned as part of the Polish Border Guard’s presidency in the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) forum in 2023, was held on October 24-26, 2023 in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
The meeting of experts took place at the HQ of the Maritime Division of Border Guard in Gdańsk. It was attended by representatives of border and police authorities of the BSRBCC member states from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Among the guests there were also representatives of Frontex, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). The Commander of the Maritime Division of Border Guard Rear Admiral BG Andrzej Prokopski welcomed the guests. The meeting of experts was chaired by the Maritime Division of Border Guard with the support of a representative of the BG HQ Analyses and Situational Awareness Bureau.
The main purpose of the meeting was to summarize the activities that have been carried out so far under the Polish Presidency (Border Guard) of the BSRBCC in 2023 and to present the conclusions of the Annual Threat Assessment Report for the Baltic Sea region. During the meeting, the Finnish Border Guard presented the Action Plan for 2024, in connection with the upcoming takeover of the forum presidency. The results of two operational activities carried out this year in cooperation of the services of the BSRBCC member states were also discussed. The implementation of a multi-task maritime operation (MMO) in the Baltic Sea in 2023, under the patronage of the EMSA agency, was discussed, taking into account the experience of the Finnish Border Guard gained during participation in the operation in question. The issue of further cooperation between the BSRBCC and CBSS was also discussed, including: by actively using the offer of projects prepared and supported by the CBSS for the Baltic Sea region. The meeting program also included a visit to the Kaszubski Vessel Squadron of BG, where participants had the opportunity to see the newest Border Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV).
2nd Annual Threat Assessment Seminar of the BSRBCC experts
2nd Seminar of the BSRBCC Risk Analysis Experts (2nd Annual Threat Assessment Seminar), organized in the framework of the Polish Border Guard presidency of the BSRBCC in 2023, took place on October 10–12, 2023 at the premises of the Border Guard Training Center in the city of Kętrzyn. The seminar was conducted in cooperation with European Border And Coast Guard Agency FRONTEX.
Representatives of border services and law enforcement authorities of the BSRBCC member states from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Norway and Poland attended the seminar. An expert on strategic analysis of the FRONTEX also participated in the event.
The commander of the BG Training Center welcomed the guest. Analytical and Situational Bureau of the Border Guard Headquarters with the support of representatives of the Maritime Division of the Border Guard chaired the experts’ meeting.
The main purpose of the seminar was to discuss the draft joint Annual Threat Assessment Report for the year 2022. The question of the latest trends in illegal migration and cross-border crime was also discussed. The course and findings of the BALTIC TRACKING 2023 and the BALTIC APPROACH 2023 operations, organized during the BSRBCC Presidency 2023, were summarized.
Seminar of the BSRBCC Experts in stolen vehicles detection
Seminar of the BSRBCC Experts in stolen vehicles detection, organized as part of the presidency of the Border Guard in 2023 of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation – BSRBCC forum, took place on September 6, 2023 at the premises Border Guard Training Center (BGTC) in Kętrzyn. It was carried out in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex.
The seminar was conducted by experts from the Nadbużański Division of the Border Guard. Representatives of border services and police forces of the BSRBCC member states from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark, Latvia, Sweden and an expert from the Frontex Agency took part in the seminar. The main purpose of this meeting was to provide a general overview of the current situation in the field of cross-border vehicle crime, exchange best practices and use the latest technical developments to detect stolen vehicles.
Deputy Commander of the BGTCG colonel BG Mirosław DOROSZKIEWICZ welcomed the participants. They were introduced to the BGTC’s teaching facilities and the scope of training provided by the teaching faculty. The Center’s educational program and trainings are dedicated to the Polish Border Guard officers, national public administration personnel as well as personnel of the foreign partners.
1st BBC, March 28-30, 2023
The Baltic Border Committee Experts meeting – organized within the framework Border Guard’s Presidency of the the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) forum in 2023 took place on March 28th – 30th, 2023 at the Border Guard Training Center in the city of Kętrzyn. It was carried out in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex.
The meeting was attended by representatives of border and police services of the BSRBCC member states from Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The Frontex Agency delegation was headed by Mr. Briece Caldairou the Head of the Coast Guard Sector. The Director General of the Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Grzegorz Marek Poznański was also present.
The main purpose of the meeting was to present the action plan of the Polish BSRBCC Presidency for 2023, to summarize the conclusions of the German Presidency in years 2020-2021 and to indicate further directions of cooperation within the forum.
The guests were welcomed by the Deputy Commandant of the Border Guard Training Center (BGTC), Colonel BG Mirosław Doroszkiewicz. The participants were shown the student facilities/ didactic base of the BGTC and the scope of trainings conducted by its staff, dedicated to the BG officers, national public administration personnel, as well as foreign partners.
The meeting of experts was chaired by the Maritime Regional Unit Border Guard with the support of representatives of the Border Board of the Border Guard HQ and the Podlaskie Regional Init of Border Guard.
1st Cruise Ships Meeting of the BSRBCC experts
The 1st Cruise Ship Meeting of the BSRBCC experts, organized under the presidency of the Border Guard in 2023 within the framework of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation forum – BSRBCC, was held on April 19, 2023 in the online formula. It was carried out in cooperation with the German Federal Police (BPOL) and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex.
The BSRBCC member states – Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Sweden and Finland – border services and police experts in the field of border checks of cruise ships participated in the meeting. The meeting was also attended by representatives of border and police services from Greece, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Iceland, Italy and Portugal as well as representatives of the Frontex Agency.
The main purpose of the meeting was to develop recommendations for border procedures for cruise ships in the Baltic Sea region for the 2023 season with particular emphasis on the planned implementation of the Entry/ Exit system. The meeting was attended by experts from the countries of the Northern Sea basin as well as the Mediterranean Sea, due to the need to harmonize border procedures for cruise ships in all European ports.
The Maritime Regional Unit of BG chaired the meeting enjoying substantive support of the German Federal Police Directorate in Bad Bramstedt.
1st Annual Threat Assessment Seminar of the BSRBCC experts
The 1st Annual Threat Assessment Seminar of the BSRBCC experts, organized as part of the Border Guard’s presidency of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation in 2023, was held on April 25 – 27, 2023 at the Border Guard Training Center in the city of Kętrzyn. It was carried out in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the border and police services of the BSRBCC member states – Lithuania, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Finland. The strategic analyst of the Frontex Agency also participated in the meeting as a guest.
The main purpose of the meeting was to assess migration situation in Europe, with particular emphasis on the situation in the Baltic Sea region countries, taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic, hybrid activities, the war in Ukraine as well as other factors on the migration situation in the Baltic Sea region countries and the discussion on the proposal for a joint risk analysis report for the year 2022.
The guests were welcomed by the Deputy Commander of the Border Guard Training Center in the city of Kętrzyn. The participants were also familiarized with the didactic base of the BGTC in the city of Kętrzyn and the scope of trainings conducted by its lecturers and dedicated to the border guards, national public administration personnel as well as foreign partners. The experts meeting was chaired by the Analytical and Situational Bureau of the General Headquarters of the Border Guard with the support of representatives of the Podlaskie Regional Unit of Border Guard and the Maritime Regional Unit of Border Guard.
BSRBCC Document Control Expert Seminar
A Seminar of the BSRBCC Document Experts, organized as part of the presidency of the Border Guard in 2023 in the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation forum – BSRBCC was held on June 13-15, 2023 at the Border Guard Training Center in Kętrzyn. It was carried out in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex.
The seminar was attended by representatives of the border and police services of the BSRBCC member states from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Poland. The seminar was also attended by an expert from the Frontex Agency.
The main objective of the seminar was to exchange information and best practices in the field of disclosing the practice of counterfeiting travel documents on a plastic and paper basis, as well as disclosing fantasy and camouflage documents.
The Commandant of the BGTC in Kętrzyn welcomed the guests. The participants were acquainted with the didactic base of the BGTC and the scope of trainings dedicated to officers of the Border Guard, national public administration, as well as foreign partners all conducted by the staff of the BGTC. The seminar of experts was chaired by the Maritime Regional Unit of Border Guard with the support of representatives of the Border Guard Training Center and the Border Guard Headquarters.
