Paraskevi Michou

Michou was the Director General of DG Home and therefore a member of the Management Board of Frontex since 2018 until 2020. In an exchange of letters with Leggeri (18 March 2019) she states that it would be lawful for the operational plan of the Frontex/Themis operation to include procedures for notifying sightings of boats in “distress” at sea to the LYCG (See, Frontex, B Policies and Implications, VI Collaboration with the LYCG)

In the exchange of letters with Leggeri (Frontex) it was alleged that boats in distress should be referred to the responsible MRCC (Tripoli/Lybia) and also to neighbouring MRCCs (i.e. those of Italy and Malta), but it was underlined that Italy was not a neighbouring MRCC since Italy does not border the Libyan SAR. 

In a letter to Legeri (18 March 2019) she stated that  sharing  data on vessel monitoring and detection through satellite technology that is part of the EUROSUR Fusion Services with the Lybian authorities will be lawful. The letter also revealed that the aerial assets of the EUNAVFOR MED Sophia operation had shared similar information with the Libyan authorities.She has been tasked by Juncker to lead the permanent contact team with Italy alongside with Simon Mordue and Stefano Grassi. This entity aimed to ensure a permanent flow of information between Italy and the Commission services.

Her name appears in the 6 board meetings of the EUTF. She stated that the EUTF has led to a positive partnership , in this regard she mentioned the work accomplished in Libya through the cooperation with Italy and the Libyan Coast Guard.

Since she was the Director-General of Directorate-General Migration and Home Affairs (HOME) (from 2018 to 2020) she was therefore a member of the Management Board of Frontex (she assisted to most of the meetings). In this regard she may  have had an influence over  the decisions which were taken by the Management Board of Frontex. Moreover, DG HOME is  coordinating at the political policy level all actions of Frontex. (See, Frontex)