Rescue as a new European role in the surveillance of the Mediterranean

 Regulation 656/2014 represents an important step towards the clarification of EU surveillance obligations, including search and rescue missions in operations coordinated by Frontex. It establishes that each operational plan drawn up by Frontex should guarantee the protection of fundamental rights in the conception, coordination and implementation of a joint operation.
Although its scope is limited to operations coordinated by Frontex, its implementation may lead to an assimilation effect in the development of national and other similar European operations at sea. This is because it codifies, integrates and develops not only the rules of international maritime law but also European jurisprudence relating to the principle of “non-refoulement”. Enlarging the scope of this regulation’s application is recommended in order to achieve a more consistent structure of the material and human resources allocated to such operations through the fair distribution of burdens and responsibilities among member states.

Key words: surveillance, search and rescue, disembarkation, Frontex, non-refoulement

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