The European Commission intends to propose a common European border and coast guard in order to better guard the EU’s external borders, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said.

The proposal will be officially put forward within December, while he also highlighted the need for greater European cooperation on this issue.

He said that Schengen Treaty should not be cast into doubt saying that the tools it provided gave solutions to the issue of protecting external borders if used correctly admitting, however, that certain issues needed revision or improvement.

Asked on guarding the EU borders in the Aegean, Mr. Avramopoulos replied that there was no risk there and pointed out that “no one can raise a fence in the Aegean”.

He emphasized the need to provide refugees with international protection but also to record their arrival and take fingerprints.