Terezija Gras, State Secretary at the Croatian Interior Ministry, is one of the three candidates shortlisted for the position of Executive Director of Frontex, and will appear for a hearing before the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties next week.

After the hearing the European Parliament will send its opinion to the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, known as Frontex, who will appoint the new Executive Director before the year’s end.

The position was vacated after France’s Fabrice Leggeri was forced to resign over a highly critical report by OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office, concerning incidents that included violence against migrants on the Union’s external borders.

Leggeri was accused of failure to protect the human rights of migrants who were seeking asylum in the European Union and of looking away from illegal actions on the ground.

If the Frontex Management decides to appoint a candidate other than the one proposed by Parliament, the Management Board is required to present a written explanation to the European Parliament and the Council.

In addition to Terezija Gras, the two other shortlisted candidates are Aija Kalnaja of Latvia, who currently serves as interim Executive Director, and Dutchman Hans Leijtens.

The hearing is scheduled for 30 November.

The Executive Director is appointed for a term of five years, with the possibility of a renewal for a maximum of five years. The Executive Director is based at Frontex headquarters in Warsaw.