Finse kolonel wordt chef Europese grenspolitie (en)

The director of international affairs of Finland's border police, Colonel Ilkka Laitinen, was named chief of the EU's external borders agency on Wednesday.

"His term of office will start at the earliest convenience and last for five years", said the Finnish interior ministry in a statement.

Colonel Laitinen was also Director of the EU Risk Analysis Centre operated in Helsinki in 2003-2005.

The borders agency, which takes over from the EU Risk Analysis Centre, oversees member states' co-operation over external borders, but member states remain responsible for their own boundaries.

The budget of the EU Borders Agency is about 6 million euro this year and 10 million euro in 2006.