Polen kandidaat voor EU-agentschap voor bewaking buitengrenzen (en)

Poland would like to see the new agency for the control of the EU's external borders located on its territory.

The Polish Minister for the Interior has sent an application to Ireland, which currently holds the EU Presidency, to press its case.

Poland argues that it will have the longest ground border in an enlarged EU and is already involved in co-operation in the field.

If the EU border agency is granted to Poland it would be the first EU agency outside the current 15 member states.

According to Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, the agency is set to start its activities in January 2005 with a staff of 55 and a budget of 6.1 m euro for the first year.