ANNUAL POLICY REPORT 2012 necessary level of security. Additionally, there has been an exchange of information on security issues through police liaison officers in Tirana and Athens respectively. The possibility of creating a joint center for this purpose has also been discussed. Simultaneous operations conducted in areas of the common land border that require increased surveillance in order to tackle criminal activities, including illegal immigration, have been in place. Finally, staff of the Albanian Police Services is allocated at the Hellenic Police Passport Control Services aiming at identifying illegal Albanian immigrants attempting to cross using false travel documents. Similarly, Hellenic Police personnel are assigned with similar tasks at the Albanian authorities. F.Y.R.O.M.: There have been ongoing efforts to establish a mechanism for the regular cooperation with the competent authorities of F.Y.R.O.M, primarily at operational level. The F.Y.R.O.M authorities have in principle reacted positively. On the basis of these developments, it is planned to start building up regular information exchange meetings to address issues related to illegal immigration and cross-border crime in general. There have also been inquiries at a strategic level, in order to find possible ways of promoting cooperation, which, having been identified after consulting internally, will be transmitted to the competent authorities of FYROM to elicit views-comments. Turkey (discussed in following sections) Border control including Frontex operations STOP a. Please describe any new border control developments, including technological equipment for border control purchased and used during the reference period, including IT systems, surveillance equipment, automated border controls and fast track lanes, etc. If possible, also make reference to any developments relevant to the EU entry / exit system, the EU Registered Traveller Programme, the Schengen Information System (SIS II) and European Border Surveillance System. 1. OPERATIONS CENTRES A number of initiatives and developments that have taken place in recent years in the Council of the EU in relation to the integrated management of external borders, the latest one being the initiative of the European Commission for the development of a European system for the surveillance of maritime borders (EUROSUR), confirm the need for review by Member States, of the way they manage the operational action at their external borders and the cooperation between the co-responsible authorities at national level and international or regional level in order to raise situation awareness at the central level. A. National Coordinating Center The Eurosur European Regulation under discussion, provides for the creation of a European coordination center (at the premises of Frontex), and the operation of a national coordination center in each m-s. In Greece, this center will be located at the Coast Guard headquarters in Piraeus, while a Commodore of the Hellenic Coast Guard has been appointed as the new National Coordinator. The 19