Speaker Biograghy: Olga started her career 11 years ago in the Romanian Ministry of the Interior, working as Project Manager and Policy Officer for the General Inspectorate for Immigration as well as for the headquarters in the Schengen Directorate. In 2011 she joined Frontex as Coordinating Officer for the Capacity Building Division and in spring last year she joined the Research and Development Unit. The Research and Development Unit proactively follows up on research and developments that are of relevance for the security of the external border of the EU for the benefit of the EU Member States and the European Commission. The unit also participates in short, mid and long-term border security-related projects being executed at the EU level. Olga has broad experience as a Project Manager and she has also actively participated in the policy development process for migration and asylum at both the national and the European level, being involved through the EU Council Schengen Acquis Group. Olga is a lawyer by education and holds a BA in Law and an MA in International Relations.


Day 2 - 11 March
Session: Aviation Security, Border Control & Facilitation

16:20 - 16:50 - Challenges and opportunities in implementing efficient smart border solutions
Synopsis: As traveller numbers continue to rise, the pressure to process large volumes of people at border crossing points will continue to grow. Certainly, the traditional approach to border control, in which most travellers are to be checked at the border irrespective of the level of risk they present as individuals, is not sustainable in the long term. One-size-fits-all controls do not represent the most effective method to detect individuals who pose a genuine security risk at the border. A new border control paradigm is needed to tackle the aforementioned challenges and to better strike a balance between facilitation, security and cost effectiveness while complying with existing regulations. The main objective will be to have sufficient and reliable information on individual passengers available as early as possible, so that advance processing (risk assessment) and facilitation can become a reality, thus serving the needs of both the border control community and the passengers. This approach could also potentially allow for integration with airline and airport processes, creating additional benefits. But what is needed to change the paradigm?

Day 2 - 11 March
Session: Aviation Security, Border Control & Facilitation

16:50 - 17:20 - Panel Discussion: Is the road to ABC programs paved with good intentions?