Brussels, 28/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - Since Monday 28 April, Moldovan citizens can now travel in the Schengen area without needing a visa if they travel for a short stay or have a biometric passport. “We launched the visa dialogue with Chisinau in June 2010 [Ed: on 15 June] and less than four years later travelling to the Schengen zone without a visa has become a reality for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova”, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström was pleased to announce. In Malmström's opinion, this will further facilitate people-to-people contacts and strengthen business, social and cultural ties between the European Union and Moldova. Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle stated that Moldova is “ever closer to the EU” because of this.
Forming the view that Chisinau had fulfilled all its obligations, the European Commission proposed, on 28 November 2013, removing visas for holders of biometric passports. The Parliament gave its agreement on 27 February 2014 and the Council adopted the revised regulation on 14 March. On 3 April, European Parliament President Martin Schulz and (on behalf of the Council) Greece's Minister for European Affairs Dimitris Kourkoulas signed the amendment to the regulation allowing Moldova to be put on the list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa obligation - the final formal step of the procedure.
Moldovans without biometric passports will continue to benefit from the visa facilitation agreement- as has been the case since 1 January 2008. This agreement enables smaller visa charges, simplified and quicker procedures, and facilitates access to multiple-entry visas that are valid long-term. Over the four years, the number of requests for short-term visas has remained stable - between 50,000 and 55,000 per year. Request refusals decreased from 11.4% in 2010 to 4.8% in 2013. Moldova itself lifted the visa obligation for EU citizens on 1 January 2007. (CG)