Moldova - EU Visa Liberalisation
Process
Visa liberalisation : background
 Further advancing on the way of reforming in cooperation with the EU and in
accordance with European standards the justice and home affairs area – a priority
reform sector for the Government
 2007 – Moldova unilaterally abolished the visa regime for EU citizens
 Since January 2008, Moldova has been implementing visa facilitation and
readmission agreements with the EU.
 The EU Common Visa Application Centre in Chisinau - a pilot project of the EU
launched for the first time in Moldova
 Moldova is a pilot country having a Mobility Partnership with the EU. Moldova has
approximately 60 joint projects with 15 EU member states in the field.
 Moldova has been first country in the region to issue biometric passports since 2008
in full compliance with ICAO standards. Starting 1 January 2011 the country issues only
biometric passports.
 EUBAM
Visa Liberalisation: process
 Pre-emptive implementation strategy.
 21 December 2009 - EU Council Conclusions on Moldova from, containing express provisions for
visa liberalisation
 1-2 March 2010 – EU Exploratory Mission
 15 June 2010 - The EU-Moldova Visa dialogue was launched
 September 2010 - EU expert on-site evaluation missions
 October 2010 – EU Gap Analysis Report
 25 October 2010 - Conclusions on the Republic of Moldova of the Foreign Affairs Council
Meeting allowing further taking stock of the operational phase of the Dialogue.
 24 January 2011 - detailed Plan of Actions for the visa free travel regime was presented by
Commissioner Malmstrom in Chisinau
 4 March 2011 – National Annotated Agenda for the implementation of the Visa Action Plan was
aproved.
 1 March 2011 – public hearings in the Parliament on visa liberalisation
 23 May 2011 – First Progress Report on the implementation of the National Annotated Agenda
of the EU – Republic of Moldova Action Plan on visa liberalization
Visa Liberalisation Action Plan
4 Thematic Blocks:
 Document security
 Irregular migration, including readmission
 Public order and security
 External relations and fundamental rights
2 Phases:
1st phase (legislative and policy framework):
2nd phase (benchmarks for effective implementation):
Impact Assesment Study of possible migratory and security impacts of future visa
liberalization for Moldovan citizens traveling to EU
National Institutional Coordination
Visa Liberalisation Task Force. Inter-ministerial group, coordinating the visa
liberalisation actions. Chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
External Affairs.
Main Tasks:
 Planning and coordination of actions related to visa liberalisation Action Plan
implementation, reporting and monitoring of multi-stakeholder activities
 Reporting to the Governmental Commission for European Integration, chaired by the
Prime Minister
 Make recommendations to the Commission to improve the AP implementation process
Document Security
 Biometric Passports – introduced since 2008. Only biometric passports are issued
since 2011. Phasing out of old passports – until 2019.
 Ethical Code on anti-corruption adopted, training programmes were drafted and
are planned to be launched in September 2011.
 Prompt and systematic reporting to Interpol/LASP data base on lost and stolen
passports – close to finalisation.
 Regular exchange of passport specimens and cooperation on document security with
the EU – implemented.
Irregular Migration
Integrated Border Management actions
 IBM infrastructure – interconnection network of all Border Crossing Points – 30 mil
EUR, to be finalised in 2012.
 Nearly all Border Crossing Points have access to Interpol database.
 Strategy for Integrated Border Management and Action Plan for its implementation
– adopted by the Govermnent.
 Continued effective implementation of the EU-Republic of Moldova readmission
agreement and measures for the reintegration of Moldovan citizens
 Border Guard Service – to be included as autonomous institution into the Ministry
of Interior.
 Transnistria: EUBAM – since 2006. To be extended for another 2-4 years.
EU Mobility Partnership since 2008 – pilot instrument to manage migration flows. Helped
implement some of the reforms before the visa dialogue started.
Public Order and Security
 Strategy for Combatting Organized Crime – to be developed.
 Trafficking in Human Beings
 Combating money laundering and financing terrorism
 International cooperation and exchange of information (Eurojust, Europol, bilateral
cooperation). Implementation of relevant UN and Council of Europe Conventions,
as well as GRECO recommendations in the above mentioned areas
 Centre for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption, Ministry of Interior –
institutional reform.
 Protection of Personal Data: Law on data protection approved by the Government,
pending the adoption by the Parliament in July.
External Relations and Fundamental Rights
 Anti-discrimination law drafted and pending approval after additional amendments
 In 2010, Moldova-EU Human Rights Dialogue. National Human Rights Action Plan
adopted and started implementation
 Implementation of legislation and policies on anti-discrimination, implementation of
relevant UN and Council of Europe instruments
 Substantial amount of work started and completed in 2010-2011.
Important legislative and policy framework adopted
 National Strategy on Integrated Border Management of the State Border for years 2011
– 2013 and its Action Plan
 The National Human Rights Action Plan
 National Anti-corruption Strategy
 Ammendments to the Law regarding prevention and fighting money laundering and
financing of terrorism aimed at adjusting the legal framework to the international
standards
 The draft Law on the personal data protection (in a new version)
 Additional Protocols for Readmission Agreement have been signed with Austria,
Estonia, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
Legal Framework – further action needed
 Draft the law on integration of foreigners.
 Further improve and implement the monitoring mechanism of the National Reference
System (NRS) for protection and assistance of victims and potential victims of human
trafficking.
 Review of the national legislation on interception of telephone calls.
 Draft the National Strategy for preventing and fighting organized crime.
 Draft the Action Plan for preventing and fighting organized crime.
 Substantially improve the existent legal framework on traffic of human beings.
 Harmonization of the existing regulatory framework to the new provisions of the Law and
Strategy for preventing and fighting organized crime.
 Ensuring an effective mechanism to prevent trafficking and to establish an active
dialogue with civil society.
 Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention (Lanzarote Convention) regarding the
child protection against sexual exploitation and abuse, signed on 25 October 2007.
 Efficient implementation of the Law on fighting the domestic violence.
Institutional Reform
Based on the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan implementation progress report
submitted by the Government, further priorities for institutional reform are:
Integrated Border Management
Fight Against Corruption
Combating and prevention of trafficking in human beings
Fighting organised crime, money laundering and terrorism
Personal data protection
Strengthening the cooperation with EUROPOL and EUROJUST.
Main stakeholders/targets for institutional reform:
 Ministry of Internal Affairs
 Border Guard Service
 Centre for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption
Priority Actions as per the National Annotated Action Plan
 Capacity building – anticorruption, criminal investigation, migration management,
human rights, non-discrimination.
 Strengthen the capacities of the law enforcement bodies in order to implement the
methods and techniques of pro-active investigation of the cases of traffic of human
beings
 Implementation of new methods and technologies in combatting illicit migration.
 Implement the best practices for the enhancement of the personnel professionalism of
the Border Guard Service.
 Efficient implementation of methodologies of inland detection of illegal migrants.