European Commission 2 February 2024, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the evaluation of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard, including a review of the Standing Corps

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This Commission Staff Working Document presents the evaluation of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG Regulation), covering the period from December 2019 to October 2023, assessing effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance, and EU added value pursuant to Article 121 of the Regulation, and incorporating a review of the Standing Corps pursuant to Article 59. The evaluation finds that the Regulation is largely coherent internally and externally, that Frontex's expanded mandate—including the establishment of a Standing Corps of up to 10,000 operational staff—has contributed to achieving EBCG objectives in border management and returns, though implementation has been hampered by organisational shortcomings, delays in capability planning, gaps in fundamental rights monitoring, and tensions arising from the application of EU Staff Regulations to Category 1 statutory staff performing executive border guard functions. The evaluation concludes that the EBCG Regulation remains relevant to addressing current and future challenges at EU external borders, that its objectives could not have been achieved sufficiently by Member States acting alone, and that targeted improvements—particularly regarding governance, operational command structures, data protection, and the legal framework for voluntary returns—are warranted without necessitating immediate legislative revision in most areas.AI