Brussels, 28/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 27 May, the European Commission called for the launch of the second phase of the visa liberalisation action plan (VLAP) with Ukraine - the phase in which it is due to check the implementation of the rules adopted by Ukraine. “The Commission adopted (…) its fourth progress report on the implementation by Ukraine of the visa liberalisation action plan (VLAP). It concludes that Ukraine has put in place the necessary legislative, policy and institutional framework and meets the first-phase requirements of the visa dialogue. The second phase, where the Commission will be checking the implementation of all these rules, can therefore be launched”, the Commission stated in a press release.
The member states must now give their agreement. In their joint statement on Ukraine, the heads of state and government reasserted their “commitment to enhance people-to-people contacts between the citizens of the European Union and Ukraine”. This can be done “through the visa liberalisation process, in a secure and well-managed environment and, provided all conditions are met, in line with agreed conditions in the framework of the visa liberalisation action plan”. They reiterated that the long-term objective was to grant visa-free travel to the citizens of Ukraine “once the visa liberalisation process is duly completed”.
In the view of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, the proposal to move to the second stage of the visa liberalisation action plan was “first and foremost a recognition of the important legislative reforms adopted in the recent months”. “While important work still lies ahead, this is a very concrete sign to the Ukrainian authorities and citizens that, with perseverance, the benefits of a closer association with the EU are real and tangible to all”, he added. In practical terms, this will bring Ukraine closer to the EU, he said at the end of the informal dinner of the EU heads of state and government.
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström said she was convinced that all the Ukrainian institutions would continue their “hard work”. On 23 May, Malmström announced that she was going to propose to the college of the commissioners that they authorise phase 2 (see EUROPE 11086).
The dialogue on visa liberalisation between the EU and Ukraine was launched on 29 October 2008 and the action plan was presented to Ukraine on 22 November 2010. (CG)