All EU countries need to share border control costs
By Marit Ruuda
All EU member states have to share the burden of securing the bloc's external borders, believes the incoming European Commissioner for justice and home affairs, Rocco Buttiglione.
Any form of sharing the burden of costs can follow only after establishing a common European immigration policy, the new Commissioner said in an interview with Financial Times Deutschland.
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"If countries are going to pay coastal security services, they must have a say on how and for what the money is spent on", he added.
Countries like Luxembourg also benefit from the coastal protection provided by countries such as Italy and Spain, said Mr Buttiglione, who is pushing towards a common European policy on immigration.
Mr Buttiglione starts at the European Commission on 1 November and has already been very vocal on aspects of his new job.