The EU is putting an additional €130 million into drone technology as part of a broader push to strengthen border security and counter hybrid threats.
The European Commission announced the funding at a meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg – their first in-person talks on migration and border controls since the Ceuta crisis erupted this summer.
“Another important topic today is how we work with new technologies, drones. That is important also for border protection, but also for protecting our critical infrastructure,” European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said on Thursday.
In February, the Commission unveiled an action plan on drone and counter-drone security, including a €250 million call for national authorities to invest in land and maritime border surveillance.
The scheme covers up to 90% of project costs, including the purchase of drones and counter-drone systems, their integration into national surveillance networks and other technologies designed to counter hybrid threats.
“Due to the high demand actually and the excellent quality of many proposals in the member states, we will be topping up the initiative with another 130 million,” Brunner said.
“I’ve just visited the counter-drone centre in Munich last week and saw how much progress our authorities throughout the whole Union are making,” he added.
Brussels has separately made €170 million available to EU border agency Frontex and national authorities under the Border Management and Visa Instrument to buy uncrewed equipment for border surveillance.
The latest top-up brings EU investment in new border-surveillance technology to more than €500 million, reflecting the growing emphasis on security.
Greece, meanwhile, has proposed temporarily suspending the right to apply for asylum during emergencies involving mass arrivals of irregular migrants. Several member states, including Poland, Germany, Austria and Denmark, back the idea.
Brussels is also expected to strengthen Frontex’s role, particularly in crisis management and in monitoring emerging hybrid threats online. The agency’s mandate is up for review later this year.
EU leaders are set to discuss the bloc’s approach to migration and border management at a European Council summit on 15-16 October.