25.11.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 3491 | (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2007/2004 of 26 October 2004 establishing a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 62(2)(a) and 66 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas: (1) Community policy in the field of the EU external borders aims at an integrated management ensuring a uniform and high level of control and surveillance, which is a necessary corollary to the free movement of persons within the European Union and a fundamental component of an area of freedom, security and justice. To this end, the establishment of common rules on standards and procedures for the control of external borders is foreseen. The efficient implementation of the common rules calls for increased coordination of the operational cooperation between the Member States. Taking into account the experiences of the External Borders Practitioners’ Common Unit, acting within the Council, a specialised expert body tasked with improving the coordination of operational cooperation between Member States in the field of external border management should therefore be established in the shape of a European Agency for the Management of Opera- tional Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the Agency). (') Opinion of 9 March 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () O] C 108, 30.4.2004, p. 97. 4 The responsibility for the control and surveillance of external borders lies with the Member States. The Agency should facilitate the application of existing and future Community measures relating to the management of external borders by ensuring the coordination of Member States’ actions in the implementation of those measures. Effective control and surveillance of external borders is a matter of the utmost importance to Member States regardless of their geographical position. Accordingly, there is a need for promoting solidarity between Member States in the field of external border management. The establishment of the Agency, assisting Member States with implementing the opera- tional aspects of external border management, including return of third-country nationals illegally present in the Member States, constitutes an important step in this direction. Based on a common integrated risk analysis model, the Agency should carry out risk analyses in order to provide the Community and the Member States with adequate information to allow for appropriate measures to be taken or to tackle identified threats and risks with a view to improving the integrated management of external borders. The Agency should provide training at European level for national instructors of border guards and additional training and seminars related to control and surveillance at external borders and removal of third-country nationals illegally present in the Member States for officers of the competent national services. The Agency may organise training activities in cooperation with Member States on their territory. The Agency should follow up on the developments in scientific research relevant for its field and disseminate this information to the Commission and to the Member States. The Agency should manage lists of technical equipment provided by the Member States, thereby contributing to the ‘pooling’ of material resources.