Beyond the Border Management Programme for Central Asia (BOMCA) - Gavrilis, George (CEPS Centre for European Policy Studies, 2009)
In 2002, Romano Prodi, then President of the European Commission, proudly announced a plan to create a unified border guard for the European Union. Police from various member states would serve together under the EU flag to protect their common external borders. The idea sought to promote a common European identity and to assuage continent-wide fears that the EU's borders were hopelessly under siege. "We would like to reassure our citizens," Prodi declared, "that we will protect our borders against terrorism, organised crime and uncontrolled immigration." While a common EU border guard has yet to see the light of day, a common EU export strategy has emerged in border management assistance. Such assistance aims to help recipient states strike a healthy balance between open and secure borders. This is not entirely altruistic