# Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624, Article 60: Antenna offices

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. Subject to an agreement with the host Member State or the explicit inclusion of this possibility in the status agreement concluded with the host third country, the Agency may establish antenna offices on the territory of that Member State or third country in order to facilitate and improve coordination of operational activities, including in the field of return, organised by the Agency in that Member State, in the neighbouring region, or in that third country and in order to ensure the effective management of the human and technical resources of the Agency. The antenna offices shall be established in accordance with operational needs for the period of time necessary for the Agency to carry out significant operational activities in that specific Member State, in the neighbouring region, or in the third country concerned. That period of time may be prolonged, if necessary.
Before an antenna office is established, all budgetary consequences shall be carefully assessed and calculated and the relevant amounts shall be budgeted in advance.
2. The Agency and the host Member State or host third country in which the antenna office is established shall make the necessary arrangements to provide the best possible conditions needed to fulfil the tasks assigned to the antenna office. The place of employment for the staff working in antenna offices shall be set in accordance with Article 95(2).
3. The antenna offices shall, where applicable:
(a) provide operational and logistical support and ensure the coordination of Agency's activities in the operational areas concerned;
(b) provide operational support to the Member State or the third country in the operational areas concerned;
(c) monitor the activities of the teams and regularly report to the Agency's headquarters;
(d) cooperate with the host Member State or host third country on all issues related to the practical implementation of the operational activities organised by the Agency in that Member State or third country, including any additional issues that might have occurred in the course of these activities;
(e) support the coordinating officer referred to in Article 44 in his or her cooperation with the participating Member States on all issues related to their contribution to the operational activities organised by the Agency and, where necessary, liaise with the Agency's headquarters;
(f) support the coordinating officer and fundamental rights monitors assigned to monitor an operational activity in facilitating, where necessary, the coordination and communication between the Agency's teams and the relevant authorities of the host Member State or host third country as well any relevant tasks;
(g) organise logistical support relating to the deployment of the members of the teams and the deployment and use of technical equipment;
(h) provide all other logistical support regarding the operational area for which a given antenna office is responsible, with a view to facilitating the smooth running of the operational activities organised by the Agency;
(i) support the Agency's liaison officer, without prejudice to his or her tasks and functions referred to in Article 31, in identifying any current or future challenges for the border management of the area for which a given antenna office is responsible, for the implementation of the return acquis and regularly report to the Agency's headquarters;
(j) ensure the effective management of the Agency's own equipment in the areas covered by its activities, including the possible registration and long-term maintenance of that equipment and any logistical support needed.
4. Each antenna office shall be managed by a representative of the Agency appointed by the executive director as a head of an antenna office. The head of the antenna office shall oversee the overall work of the office and shall act as its single point of contact with the Agency's headquarters.
5. On the basis of a proposal from the executive director, the management board shall decide on the establishing, composition, duration and, where needed, possible prolongation of the duration of the operation of an antenna office taking into account the opinion of the Commission and the agreement of the host Member State or the host third country.
6. The host Member State shall provide the Agency with assistance to ensure operational capacity.
7. The executive director shall report to the management board on a quarterly basis on the activities of antenna offices. The activities of the antenna offices shall be described in a separate section of the annual activity report.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2019/1896/article/60 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2019-1896/article-60
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.