More than 100 operational planners from EU Member States, non-EU partner countries, and EU agencies met in Warsaw from 17 to 19 March for the 2026 Annual Operations Planning Event (AOPE), hosted by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The three-day event focused on reviewing joint operations in 2025, coordinating ongoing activities in 2026, and setting operational plans for 2027, with the approaching application date of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum a central topic throughout.
The event opened with an overview of Frontex operations and Member State contributions, followed by sessions on new operational activities planned for 2027. Discussions focused on practical coordination: how resources, including Standing Corps officers and equipment, are allocated, how quickly they can be redeployed when priorities shift, and how training supports both new and existing operations.
A key aim of the operations planning process is to ensure that we are ready to deploy Standing Corps officers and equipment where they are needed most, and that they contribute to European Integrated Border Management in the most effective and efficient way.” Lotje Van Der Made, Director of the Operations Planning Division, Frontex
Joint operations
Joint operations were a central theme of the event. Frontex aims to carry out at least one joint operation with every EU Member State each year; in 2026 this will amount to more than 30 operations across the EU’s external borders, from the central Mediterranean to the Baltic and the Western Balkans. Operations in 2025 included activities in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia, as well as joint action days that resulted in hundreds of arrests across multiple areas.
A recurring theme was the value of more integrated collaboration between Frontex and national authorities, moving beyond the provision of additional resources towards genuine operational partnership.
Frontex should be more like a real partner for EU Member States and not only a supplier of additional resources. Tuukka Höijer, Head of the Specific Planning Sector, Frontex
Another key idea discussed by the conference participants was the notion of added value: the idea that Frontex adds value to border operations, as do partner countries. When Frontex combines its resources with those of its partners, this leads to enhanced capabilities and better results.
Key strategic goals also included strengthening the Standing Corps and creating a Quick Reaction Force that would provide both Frontex and EU Member States with the operational flexibility needed to face border challenges wherever and whenever they arise.
ETIAS and digital border management
One of the most significant topics discussed was the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which Frontex has developed in close cooperation with EU partners and is due to launch in late 2026. When operational, the ETIAS will affect an estimated 1.4 billion visa-free travellers, a significant change to how people from non-EU countries enter the Schengen Area.
It is a highly collaborative project with many moving parts – a great example of shared European responsibility. Ignacio Zozaya, Head of the ETIAS Business Management Office, Frontex