Finnish Premier Juha Sipilä is cautiously positive about a proposed border guard for the Schengen area. The new force would be based in Poland but could deploy to member states even without their consent, if they were unable or unwilling to manage their borders.
“We’re cautiously positive (about the proposal) for situations where border control is in such a state that it damages other countries,” said Sipilä.
Sipilä cited the situation in Greece, which has acted as an entry point for hundreds of thousands of migrants heading towards the EU this year. Greece only voluntarily requested help from other member states after it had struggled for a long time with the influx.
“We should prepare for this kind of situation,” said Sipilä.
EU leaders are set to discuss the proposal on Thursday and Friday. The biggest question that remains open is who decides on when and how to override a state’s objections and send in the EU’s own border guards.